GOP Senator Rejects Idea of U.S. Strikes on Venezuelan Soil: 'We're Not Going to Put Troops There'

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) said he does not believe President Trump will authorize a deployment of U.S. forces inside Venezuela despite rising tensions between Washington and Caracas and an expanding U.S. military operation targeting alleged narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean.

"He's made it very clear we're not going to put troops into Venezuela," Mullin told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union." "What we're trying to do is protect our own shores."

His comments after Trump declared that Venezuelan airspace should be considered closed and days after the Federal Aviation Administration warned pilots to "exercise caution" near the area. On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: "To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY."

The administration has carried out multiple lethal strikes on vessels accused of moving drugs since early September, killing more than 80 people. Trump said last week the U.S. will "very soon" expand actions to target alleged drug networks on land as well. "We're going to go to you if you threaten our country," he said.

Mullin defended the maritime operations and dismissed concerns about their legality, as The Hill points out. "These individuals don't care about the lives of our friends and families," he said. "Why do we care if we take them out in international water?"

The strikes, however, have received increased scrutiny on Capitol Hill as of late. The Hill reports that House Armed Services Committee leaders said over the weekend that they are seeking "full accounting" of an early September U.S. military attack against an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean after a Washington Post report revealed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered U.S. troops to "kill everybody" aboard the vessel.

Elsewhere in the CNN interview, Mullin reiterated that avoiding ground involvement remains a priority. "This is what peace through strength looks like," the Oklahoma Republican added. "We're not going to wait until you come to us. We're going to go to you if you threaten our country."