Venezuela Operations - 2025
On 07 October 2025, President Trump ordered his special envoy Richard Grenell to halt all diplomatic outreach to Venezuela, effectively ending negotiations with President Nicolás Maduro U.S. News & World ReportAnadolu Ajansi. Trump reportedly grew frustrated with Maduro's refusal to step down voluntarily and the Venezuelan government's continued denial of involvement in drug trafficking. The negotiations, which occurred over several months, involved several key US demands and Venezuelan counter-proposals. Trump told US service members that US strikes on vessels off the coast of Venezuela had halted the flow of drugs by sea and the U.S. would now "have to start looking about the land."
A "best and final offer" (BAFO) is a negotiation term representing the last and most favorable proposal a party is willing to submit before a decision is made. It signals that further negotiation will not be undertaken – the offer may only be accepted or rejected KARRASSContractSafe. It's commonly used when one party is dealing with multiple bids or in final rounds of negotiations Best and Final Offer. In the Venezuela context, neither side appears to have formally issued a "best and final offer," but the breakdown suggests both sides had reached their limits – the US insisted on regime change while Maduro refused to negotiate his departure, even when offering substantial economic incentives.
- The primary American demand was for Maduro to give up power voluntarily
- Acceptance of deported Venezuelan criminals and gang members back to Venezuela
- Release of Americans detained in Venezuela
- Acknowledgment of Venezuela's role in drug trafficking
Behind closed doors, Maduro made sweeping economic concessions, offering to open all existing and future oil and gold projects to American companies, grant preferential contracts to US businesses, redirect Venezuela's oil exports from China to the US, and scale back energy and mining deals with Chinese, Iranian, and Russian companies. The political impasse stemmed from the Venezuelan government's refusal to negotiate Maduro's potential exit from power, with Foreign Minister Yván Gil declaring "the president will not negotiate his departure". While Maduro was willing to offer major economic concessions to avoid military intervention, surrendering power was a non-negotiable red line. The US was offering a $50 million reward for Maduro's arrest, accusing him of links to drug trafficking and criminal groups.
On September 15, 2025, the Venezuela situation escalated further as Trump announced a second U.S. strike in the southern Caribbean, killing three "male terrorists" aboard another vessel allegedly transporting narcotics from Venezuela to the U.S., marking the latest in a series of kinetic operations that have drawn widespread condemnation. Maduro, speaking earlier that day in Caracas, labeled the strikes as aggressive attempts to provoke a "major war" for regime change and oil, urging de-escalation and offering cooperation on anti-drug efforts, while lashing out at Rubio for seeking to "stain Trump's hands with blood." The announcement, posted on Truth Social with video footage, has intensified fears of broader conflict, with Trump cryptically stating "we'll see what happens" when asked about potential strikes inside Venezuela, fueling speculation about inland targets as part of a wider campaign to dismantle Maduro's alleged cartel ties. U.S. intelligence maintains that these operations target confirmed narcoterrorists, though details on drugs seized or weapons used remain scarce, and legal experts question the strikes' compliance with international law given the lack of imminent threats or congressional authorization.
Donald Trump's relationship with Venezuela has been characterized by escalating hostility since his first presidency, where he implemented a "maximum pressure" strategy against Nicolás Maduro's regime through severe economic sanctions that devastated the country's oil industry and exacerbated a humanitarian crisis, leading to the displacement of millions. Upon returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump intensified this approach, designating Venezuelan gangs like Tren de Aragua and the so-called Cartel of the Suns as foreign terrorist organizations, doubling the bounty on Maduro to $50 million for alleged narcoterrorism, and deploying U.S. naval forces to the Caribbean in late August to intercept drug shipments. This military buildup, involving guided-missile destroyers, submarines, Marines, and F-35 jets in Puerto Rico, was framed as a counter-narcotics operation to combat fentanyl and cocaine flows into the United States, but critics argue it's a pretext for regime change aimed at Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
Tensions reached a boiling point in early September 2025 when the U.S. military conducted its first lethal strike on September 2 against a speedboat in international waters, which Trump claimed was operated by Tren de Aragua members carrying drugs from Venezuela, resulting in the deaths of 11 individuals. Maduro vehemently denounced the action as an unprovoked attack on civilians, accusing the U.S. of fabricating evidence—such as AI-generated videos—and mobilizing 25,000 troops along borders while activating militias and declaring a state of maximum readiness. Trump responded by warning that Venezuelan aircraft overflying U.S. vessels would be shot down, and reports emerged of internal White House debates, with hawks like Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushing for further aggression while others explored backchannel diplomacy through envoy Richard Grenell. Despite Trump's public rhetoric, some softer measures persisted, such as allowing Chevron to continue limited oil operations in Venezuela and coordinating deportation flights, suggesting a mix of pressure and pragmatic engagement.
From the U.S. perspective, the Trump administration portrays Venezuela as a narco-state under Maduro's direct control, with officials like Rubio emphasizing that these actions are self-defense against gangs poisoning Americans with drugs, and the deployments are necessary to protect national security amid a domestic overdose epidemic. Supporters view the strikes as bold enforcement of the law, crediting Trump's first-term sanctions with isolating Maduro from allies like Russia and China, though those measures failed to topple the regime and instead worsened poverty and migration. Venezuelan opposition figures, such as María Corina Machado, have expressed cautious support for pressuring Maduro but warn against full-scale war, recalling the unsuccessful 2019 recognition of Juan Guaidó as interim president.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an interview on September 3 that he watched the video live and that those under his command knew “exactly who was in that boat, we knew exactly what they were doing, and we knew exactly who they represented, and that was Tren de Aragua,” referring to a Venezuelan gang. Hegseth went on to say that “this is a deadly serious mission” for the Trump administration and that the operation “won’t stop with just this strike, anyone else trafficking in those waters who we know is a designated narcoterrorist will face the same fate.”
Secretary Rubio stated that the president “has been clear that the days of acting with impunity and having an engine shot down or a couple drugs grabbed off a boat, the – those days are over. Now it is we are going to wage combat against drug cartels that are flooding American streets and killing Americans.”
"Ascertaining the legitimacy and legality of the use of force in this case will depend on the factual answers to numerous questions. It is not clear whether the U.S. military forces deployed to the southern Caribbean tried to contact the people aboard the boat, tried to board the boat, fired warning shots, or tried to disable the engine by firing on a part of the boat where humans were not present. U.S. authorities should also address the question of whether there is any evidence that those aboard were threatening U.S. personnel in a way that would justify using lethal force in self-defense.
"If the evidence shows that the U.S. military, apparently on the orders of President Trump, engaged in the unlawful use of force that caused the deaths of 11 people in international waters, those responsible, especially at the political and military command levels, must be held accountable in the U.S. criminal justice system and under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The U.S. Congress should also require the Administration to disclose all the relevant facts. "What we have seen so far suggests that the U.S. armed forces did something that it has never done, to our knowledge, in more than 35 years of military involvement in drug interdiction in the Caribbean Sea: an instant escalation to disproportionate lethal force against a civilian vessel without any apparent self-defense justification.
"Using lethal force on suspicion of illegal activity violates the letter and spirit of more than a century of international standards and the United States’ own regulations for maritime operations against civilian vessels in international waters. These measures include the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Article 51 of the UN Charter, the UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs, the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea, the Defense Department’s Law of War Manual, and the Joint Chiefs’ Standing Rules of Engagement and Standing Rules for the Use of Force (though key language in the counter-drug section is classified)."
The US military is authorized to shoot down Venezuelan aircraft if commanders judge them a threat, President Donald Trump has said. His warning followed reports that Venezuelan aircraft had buzzed American warships taking part in what Washington describes as an anti-drug mission near the South American country. Asked by reporters what the US would do if Venezuelan jets fly near US naval vessels again, Trump warned that “they’re going to be in trouble.” “If they do put us in a dangerous position, we’ll shoot them down,” he stressed.
Trump rejected claims by Caracas that Washington was seeking to topple the government of President Nicolas Maduro. “Well, we’re not talking about that, but we are talking about the fact that you had an election which was a very strange election,” he said. He instead framed the US military presence near Venezuela as part of a crackdown on drug trafficking. “Billions of dollars of drugs are pouring into our country from Venezuela. The prisons of Venezuela have been opened up to our country,” Trump said, adding that US forces would target boats suspected of carrying narcotics.
Internationally, Maduro's government and allies like China and Russia decry the actions as imperialistic violations of sovereignty, with the UN and humanitarian organizations highlighting how renewed sanctions could further displace over eight million Venezuelans and disrupt global oil markets. Critics in the U.S., including Representative Ilhan Omar, who introduced a War Powers Resolution labeling the strikes unauthorized, argue they distract from domestic issues like the Epstein files or immigration raids, and risk illegal escalation without proof of the vessels' threats—some reports note the first boat was turning around when hit. Regional neighbors, including Trinidad and Tobago, express alarm over potential spillover violence in the Caribbean, while Latin American countries grapple with the migrant influx.
As of September 15, 2025, the volatile standoff shows no signs of abating, with Maduro's forces on high alert and Trump keeping military options open, potentially including strikes within Venezuela, though analysts doubt a full invasion due to geopolitical costs and Maduro's backing. Backchannel talks on prisoner swaps and oil deals hint at possible negotiation, but the rhetoric of "narcoterrorism" and "regime change" dominates, raising the specter of unintended conflict that could stain legacies and destabilize the hemisphere.
"OPLAN Venezuela" refers to "Independencia 200", a comprehensive military defense plan announced by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in September 2025. The plan was created in response to increased military activity by the United States in the Caribbean and U.S. strikes against alleged drug vessels with ties to Venezuela. On September 11, 2025, President Maduro launched "Plan Independencia 200," mobilizing the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) for large-scale military drills. As part of the plan, 4.5 million militiamen were deployed across 284 "battlefronts". The drills were focused on securing Venezuela's coastline and other strategic areas. The stated purpose of the plan is to defend Venezuela's sovereignty against what Maduro characterized as U.S. imperialist threats. The president declared that Venezuelan soil and resources would not "belong to the American empire". Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros delivered a defiant speech 22 August 2025 during the “Act in Defense of Sovereignty and Peace of Venezuela, Latin America and the Caribbean,” held in the Elliptical Hall of the Federal Legislative Palace in Caracas. Addressing lawmakers, military leaders, and civil society representatives, Maduro declared Venezuela “untouchable,” asserting that “nothing and no one will touch the homeland.”
The event, framed as a national reaffirmation of Venezuela’s independence and democratic values, comes amid escalating tensions with the United States, which recently deployed naval forces near Venezuelan waters. Maduro thanked the National Assembly for convening what he called “a special act of unity and reunion for the defense of sacred rights: self-determination, full sovereignty, and the enjoyment of peace.”
Referencing the legacy of Bolívar and other independence leaders, Maduro emphasized that Venezuela’s true wealth lies not in its oil, gold, or gas, but in its “moral, spiritual, and ethical heritage.” He called on all Venezuelans to set aside political differences, declaring, “This is not a time for colors or divisions. One flag shelters us all: yellow, blue, and red.” The president also expressed gratitude for international support, particularly from Russia, China, Iran, and ALBA-TCP member states, which have condemned U.S. threats and reaffirmed the 2014 declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace. “Whoever threatens one country in Latin America threatens them all,” Maduro warned, urging regional unity against foreign aggression.
The speech followed Venezuela’s mobilization of over four million militia members in response to U.S. military movements in the Caribbean Sea. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López stated that the militia is prepared to defend “every inch” of national territory.
On 05 September 2025 President Nicolás Maduro activated eight million militia members and reservists, citing U.S. military operations in the Caribbean as a direct threat to Venezuela’s sovereignty. During a national broadcast on Friday, Maduro announced the first cycle of activation for the Communal Militia Units (UCM) and reservists of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB). The initiative will organize and mobilize forces across 5,336 communal circuits nationwide. “We are carrying out the first activation of all enlisted men and women, of the entire National Militia, and of the reservists, to join a major organizational and mobilization effort—something unprecedented in the military history of the country,” he said.
Maduro stressed that this was “the first time in history that the communal militia units will be activated, covering the national map from north to south, east to west, down to the last community.” He framed the mobilization as essential to strengthening national defense and safeguarding “the stability, peace, freedom, life and happiness of the people.”
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro warned that if his country is attacked, it will move into a phase of active military preparedness to defend its national integrity and sovereignty. On 05 September 2025, CNN reported citing sources that US President Donald Trump was considering various options for carrying out military strikes against drug cartels in Venezuela, including on Venezuelan soil, with a broader goal of weakening Maduro.
"If Venezuela were attacked in any way, it would move into a stage of planned and organized armed struggle by all its people against aggression, whether local, regional, or national, in defense of peace, territorial integrity, sovereignty, and our people," Maduro said. The Venezuelan leader announced the start of training a militia to defend the country, which involves citizens in the national defense system. Maduro presented a diagram of the operational readiness levels of the defense forces and explained that Venezuela was in the yellow phase of integrated defense. The Venezuelan leader explained that, currently, his country was in the phase of non-violent struggle, with political, informational and diplomatic means involved.
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