Is Trump ready to start war in Venezuela? Hints hidden in his remarks

US President Donald Trump on Friday suggested that he has made up his mind on a course of action in Venezuela. Trump’s remarks on the matter came following multiple high-level briefings this week as the US mounts its military might near the Latin American nation.

Four sources close to the matter told CNN that American officials briefed Trump on options for military operations inside Venezuela, laying out risks and benefits of launching a full-scale campaign in the country that could eventually lead to an overthrow of President Nicolás Maduro's regime.

Trump’s stance came at a time when the American military had amassed more than a dozen warships and 15,000 troops in the region as part of what the Pentagon branded “Operation Southern Spear.” On Friday, the president said that he was drawing closer to a path forward on his attempts to cut down on illegal flows of migrants and drugs, and the possibility of regime change.

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“I sort of have made up my mind — yeah. I mean, I can’t tell you what it would be, but I sort of have,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked directly about those meetings and whether he had made a decision.

The hints behind Trump’s remarks

According to CNN, this week, a small group, including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, briefed the president about the situation in Venezuela. On Thursday, a larger national security team, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other top officials, met with Trump in the Situation Room and reviewed target options.

As per the report, Trump has been presented with a wide range of options for Venezuela, including air strikes on military or government facilities and drug-trafficking routes, or a more direct attempt to take out Maduro. The meeting came a month after Trump said that he had authorised the CIA to operate in the country.

However, officials told lawmakers last week that the US didn’t have a legal justification that would support attacks against any land targets — though it is possible they could generate one. Not only this, Trump recently told CBS that he was not considering strikes inside Venezuela, despite earlier sounding open to the idea.

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The sources told CNN that the president has, in meetings, seemed wary of ordering actions that could end in failure or put US troops at risk.

So what are the potential risks and benefits of such actions?

It is pertinent to note that a regime change in Venezuela would require a serious commitment by the US and carries a high risk. However, ousting Maduro could give Trump and his team credit for something that has proved elusive to multiple American administrations, including his own.

During his first term in office, Trump officially recognised Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the country’s legitimate leader. However, a failed coup attempt in 2019 meant Guaidó never managed to take power.

If Trump were to manage to oust Maduro, the US president could claim major wins. But experts have also warned that if Trump ordered strikes inside Venezuela aimed at ousting Maduro, the US president could face serious challenges with fractured opposition elements and a military poised for insurgency.

On Friday, Maduro warned that US military intervention could lay the groundwork for what he described as “another Gaza,” a “new Afghanistan”, or “Vietnam again.” He went on to offer a direct message to the US and said: “Stop the insane hand of those who order bombing, killing and bringing war to South America, to the Caribbean. Stop the war. No to war.”

An American military intervention in Venezuela also runs the risk of upsetting the political coalition that propelled Trump into office on promises of keeping America out of overseas wars. Both Vice President JD Vance and Hegseth have been against US involvement in foreign conflicts such as the Iraq War. Hence, it will be interesting to see how Trump would navigate the issue.