Washington/Caracas, Nov 24 (UNI) The Trump administration, upping the ante of its hostility with Venezuela, is poised to gain extended operational authority in directing the US’ national policy concerning Caracas, after Washington formally designated President Nicolás Maduro and several senior officials as members of a foreign terrorist organisation on Nov 16.
The move marks a significant escalation in the long-running standoff between the two countries, and further broadens the scope of sanctions which can be levied on Caracas by President Donald Trump, reports CNN.
The designation comes after the White House alleged that Maduro was a member of Venezuela’s supposed criminal syndicate – Cartel de los Soles -, a loosely applied umbrella term by analysts, in reference to an alleged network of various criminal organisations embedded directly in the Venezuelan state machinery.
The supposed syndicate contains members from across the Latin American nation’s biggest military and political circles, with the US alleging that all these figures are involved in smuggling drugs into Washington.
Maduro’s government has consistently rejected the allegations, and flatly denied that any such cartel exists.
Although the label does not explicitly permit lethal force, US officials have suggested it provides broader counterterrorism authorities, potentially allowing the administration to pursue action inside Venezuela if it chooses.
That possibility has drawn heightened attention given the scale of the recent military build-up in the region.
As part of the US’ military operation – codename ‘Operation Southern Spear’ – the Pentagon has deployed more than a dozen warships and around 15,000 troops to the Caribbean — in what is said to be the largest military buildup by Washington in Latin American waters in decades.
The US military has already carried out lethal strikes on vessels it claims were used for drug trafficking, and killed dozens of individuals it claims were drug smugglers.
Flight-tracking data also indicates an uptick in reconnaissance activity, including the appearance of a B-52 bomber, an F/A-18E fighter jet and several surveillance aircraft off Venezuela’s coast last week.
This concentration of forces, coupled with the new terror designation, has prompted speculation over whether Washington is preparing for more assertive measures, including the possibility of direct military action – something which Washington has not commented on.
The Trump administration continues to frame its actions as part of a broader effort to curb the flow of all illegal narcotics in the country, and stem the tide of illegal migration. Most of this has been heavily questioned, with some officials having privately acknowledged that increased pressure could just be a show of optics by Trump to weaken Maduro’s grip on power.
The US public has largely been highly critical of the buildup, with a CBS News/YouGov poll noting that over 70 percent of Americans opposed any military action in Venezuela, while another 76 pc believe the administration has not clearly articulated its position.
While Trump has said he remains open to a diplomatic track, noting last week that Maduro “would like to talk” and that he might be willing to engage “at a certain time,” Washington has not elaborated further on the diplomatic angle.
