An extensive military deployment by the United States to the Caribbean, coupled with internal policy discussions, has led to international analysis that the administration of President Donald Trump is seeking a pretext to secure control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest in the world.
According to a report from The Kenya Times, Trump is actively pursuing legal justifications for military action against Venezuela without requiring congressional approval.
The administration’s stated focus is on counter-narcotics operations, but the scale of the naval force, which now includes the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group, has security experts and foreign officials questioning its ultimate objectives.
The report, authored by The Kenya Times journalist Wiltord Otieno, states that in private high-level meetings, Trump has reviewed plans ranging from targeted strikes on Venezuelan military assets to the seizure of strategic oil fields.
Officials within the administration are reportedly seeking to legally classify Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a “narco-terrorist,” a designation that could provide a legal basis for broader military engagement.
The Pentagon has launched “Operation Southern Spear,” a mission that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed is designed to “defend the Homeland” and “remove narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere.”
The operation has already involved over 20 kinetic strikes on vessels in international waters, resulting in at least 80 fatalities, according to Pentagon officials.
Venezuela has condemned the strikes as unlawful extrajudicial killings and the military buildup as “gunboat diplomacy.”
In response, Maduro has mobilized approximately 200,000 troops for nationwide defense drills, framing the U.S. actions as an “imperialist threat.”
In a televised speech, Maduro made a direct appeal to the American people: “Stop the crazed hand of those who order bombing, killing and war in South America, in the Caribbean”.
The Venezuelan leader drew parallels with another bloody conflict: “Do we want another Gaza now in South America?”
Behind the diplomatic and military tensions lies a strategic contest for energy resources. Venezuela possesses proven oil reserves estimated at over 300 billion barrels, surpassing even those of Saudi Arabia.
Control or significant influence over these reserves would grant any nation considerable leverage in global energy markets.
The Kenya Times report also details that Maduro privately offered the Trump administration preferential access to Venezuela’s oil and gold reserves in exchange for a de-escalation of hostilities.
The proposed deal allegedly included favorable terms for U.S. energy companies and a pivot away from Venezuela’s alliances with Russia and China, but the Trump administration reportedly rejected the offer, with advisers arguing that leaving Maduro in power would be an unstable long-term solution.
Critics, including human rights organizations and some U.S. legislators, have questioned the administration’s motives and the legality of the strikes.
Juan Pappier, Americas deputy director at Human Rights Watch, characterized the boat attacks as “extrajudicial executions under international law.”
As the military presence grows to approximately 15,000 personnel in the region, the international community watches closely, with many analysts suggesting that the stated goal of fighting drug trafficking may be a precursor to a larger objective centered on Venezuela’s coveted energy resources.
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