US preparing military plans in Venezuela?

Washington [US], September 28: Tensions between the US and Venezuela continue to escalate as Washington is reportedly plotting potential military action.
White House in limbo
Yesterday, NBC News quoted four sources, including two US officials, saying that the country's military is drawing up plans to attack drug traffickers inside Venezuela. The sources said drone strikes could take place in the coming weeks, targeting members, leaders and production bases of drug trafficking groups. However, US President Donald Trump has not yet approved any action.
The Pentagon did not comment on the report, while the White House repeated Trump's earlier accusation that Venezuela was allowing drug and gang members to enter the United States. "We'll see what happens," NBC News quoted the statement as saying. Venezuelan authorities have not commented on the report. President Nicolas Maduro has denied any links to drug activity.
In recent weeks, the US military has raided at least three Venezuelan boats allegedly carrying drugs that could threaten Americans, according to President Trump's announcement on the social network Truth Social. The US government has not provided evidence that drugs were on all of those boats.
Some sources say the recent US military escalation is partly due to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro not doing enough to stop the flow of drugs from his country. Mr. Maduro sent a letter to Mr. Trump asking for dialogue and reportedly including an offer of US assistance in hunting down leaders of the Tren de Aragua drug cartel. However, the White House has continued to insist that the Venezuelan leader's government is illegitimate because the US does not recognize Venezuela's 2024 presidential election.
New escalation?
The US Navy currently has eight warships with more than 5,000 troops in the Caribbean, according to AP. In addition, the US has sent 10 advanced F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico, with some already arriving. In addition, the nuclear-powered submarine USS Newport News carrying cruise missiles is also operating in the South American region.
The airstrike inside Venezuela would be a major escalation in the Trump administration's anti-drug campaign in the region and also demonstrate Washington 's tougher stance toward Caracas. The US has cited self-defense as the reason for recent attacks on ships in the Caribbean. However, "if we start attacking drug dens, we will soon reach a level of force that no legal basis can support. With a large-scale raid, we will begin to cross the threshold of self-defense," warned retired US colonel Bradley Martin, a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation (USA).
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper