President Donald Trump has expressed reservations about ordering strikes in Venezuela, fearing authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro won't leave power even in the case, according to a new report.
The Wall Street Journal detailed that the strategy remains fluid and decisions can change. A similar argument was given by Trump officials who told lawmakers in a briefing that the administration does not currently have legal authority to launch military strikes inside the South American country.
However, they said, the administration is now seeking a new Justice Department opinion that could allow such attacks without congressional approval.
According to CNN, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and an official from the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) informed lawmakers that the existing OLC opinion—written to justify strikes against suspected drug-trafficking boats in international waters—does not apply to land targets in Venezuela or elsewhere in the region.
The "execute order" that authorized the maritime campaign beginning in September also does not extend to land-based operations.
Officials told lawmakers they are pursuing a separate legal opinion that would provide a justification for attacking land targets without seeking congressional authorization, though no final decision has been made, CNN noted. One U.S. official said policy could shift rapidly, commenting that "what is true one day may very well not be the next," noting that President Trump has not decided how he will handle the Venezuelan regime.
The U.S. military has escalated tensions in the region, deploying significant naval assets—including the Ford Carrier Strike Group—to the Caribbean. Officials said the buildup is intended to support counternarcotics operations and intelligence collection, not pre-positioning for strikes on Venezuelan territory.
To date, U.S. forces have conducted at least 16 strikes on suspected narcotrafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing at least 67 people.
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