The United States appears ready for a full military operation in Venezuela as Donald Trump announced Tuesday evening that military attacks on ground targets will “begin very soon.”
Read: Trump: Announced strikes on targets within Venezuela – “We will crush the scumbags” (Video)
Responding to reporters after a lengthy cabinet meeting, attended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the American president emphasized: “We’re going to start doing these land attacks, you know, land is much easier, it’s much easier and we know the routes they follow.”
“We know everything about them. We know where they live. We know where the bad guys live and we’re going to start the ground strikes very soon,” Trump said.
The US military has launched a series of strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific since early September against vessels that (according to the White House and Pentagon) were transporting drugs, specifically targeting Venezuela. Over 80 people have been killed in these strikes.
Trump targets Colombia as well
Meanwhile, the American president also targeted Colombia, saying that any country trafficking drugs to the US will be considered a legitimate target. Colombia ranks first globally in cocaine production.
Following Trump’s threats, Colombian social democratic President Gustavo Petro called on the US to respect his country’s “national sovereignty.”
“Do not threaten our national sovereignty, because you will awaken the jaguar. Attacking our national sovereignty is equivalent to declaring war, do not strike two centuries of diplomatic relations,” President Petro warned via X.
Donald Trump accuses his Colombian counterpart of not doing enough to combat drug trafficking – going so far as to call him a “drug baron” – and his administration has imposed economic and travel sanctions. He also removed Colombia from the list of states considered allies in the fight against drug trafficking, depriving it of hundreds of millions in funding.
For his part, Gustavo Petro accuses his American counterpart of interfering in his country’s political affairs to influence public opinion so that the left is driven from power in the 2026 elections.
US military awaits Trump’s order
With the stated goal of combating drug cartels, the US has deployed a powerful military force in the Caribbean for months, including the world’s largest and most advanced aircraft carrier (USS Gerald R. Ford).
America’s military presence with warships, aircraft carriers and bombers is on standby, awaiting Trump’s order for ground strikes, with Special Operations Teams and CIA units prepared for rapid intervention.
🇺🇸🇻🇪 The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) has departed St. Thomas after a brief 24-hour stop. The carrier is now heading back into open waters, accompanied by the amphibious ship USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28). pic.twitter.com/ng9IUqsl5F
— Defense News (@defensesignal) December 3, 2025
