Axios: Trump sends ships to Venezuela, may be preparing to overthrow Maduro regime

Under the guise of fighting drug trafficking in Venezuela, the United States may try to overthrow the regime of dictator Nicolas Maduro. This was reported by the media Axios with reference to unnamed interlocutors familiar with the matter.

The United States has already sent seven ships with 4,500 troops to the Venezuelan coast. Among the ships are three destroyers carrying guided missiles. At least one submarine has also been deployed to the coast of Venezuela.

The article states that even the closest advisers to US President Donald Trump are not sure that ships with soldiers were sent to Venezuela as part of an operation to combat drug trafficking. They allow for an operation to overthrow the government in Caracas.

Officially, the ships are off Venezuela to fight drug trafficking. However, White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt on Thursday hinted at the ambiguity of the mission, noting that the United States considers Maduro a "fugitive drug cartel leader" and not the legitimate president of Venezuela.

"This is 105 percent about narco-terrorism, but if Maduro is no longer in power, no one will cry," said one White House official familiar with the political discussions.

Another administration official suggested that the United States could conduct an operation similar to the one that took place in 1989, when Panamanian President Manuel Noriega, who was also accused of drug trafficking, was captured .

"Leaving Maduro in power in Venezuela is like putting Jeffrey Epstein in charge of a kindergarten," another Trump adviser commented.

Although administration officials have refused to rule out an invasion, almost all privately believe it is unlikely. The deployment, however, includes 2,200 Marines, a unit of the military that operates on the oceanfront. This is hardly typical for a drug war, journalists noted.

• On January 19, 2025, Axios wrote that the Trump administration wants Maduro to step down as Venezuela's leader.
• In August, the US increased the reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest from $25 million to $50 million.