Venezuela's Maduro Taunts Trump Over Military Deployment: 'Do Whatever You Want, We Won't Be Rattled'

Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro taunted the Trump administration over the U.S. Army's deployment in the region and its pressure campaign to oust him.

"14 weeks of threats, saying gringos have 15 ships, 2,600 missiles, 100 planes. Now that boat, what's the name of the largest ship? The Ford. Do whatever you want, we won't be rattled," Maduro said.

The taunt follows a report claiming that President Donald Trump expressed reservations about ordering strikes in the South American country, fearing Maduro won't leave power even in that case.

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.

In the meantime, however, the U.S. continues to conduct strikes against alleged drug boats and fly aircraft close to the country's shores. On Thursday, the U.S. flew bombers less than 50 miles from the Venezuelan coast.

Local outlet Monitoreamos noted that the U.S. flew two strategic B-52H Stratofortress planes identified as TITO41 and TITO42. The operation takes place a week after the U.S. sent B-1B bombers close to the country, noting they turned off transponders while flying over the Caribbean and then turned them on again as they got closer to the Venezuelan shores.

Such aircraft had already flown close to Venezuela a week prior. The records contradicted Donald Trump's denial that U.S. bombers had been sent near the country's shores. The B-1B is a supersonic heavy bomber capable of carrying cruise missiles and precision-guided munitions.