The United States is not talking about regime change in Venezuela, President Donald Trump said on Friday, as the United States ordered an additional 10 stealth fighter jets to a military buildup in the Caribbean.
&#8220;We&#8217;re not talking about that, but we are talking about the fact that you had an election which was a very strange election, to put it mildly,&#8221; Trump said, referring to the contested 2024 election the Venezuelan government says President Nicolas Maduro won.
Trump had been asked by reporters about a claim Maduro has made this week that the United States was seeking &#8220;regime change through military threat.&#8221;
&#8220;The government of the United States should abandon its plan of violent regime change in Venezuela and in all of Latin America and respect sovereignty, the right to peace, to independence,&#8221; Maduro said on state television.
&#8220;I respect Trump. None of the differences we&#8217;ve had can lead to a military conflict,&#8221; Maduro added. &#8220;Venezuela has always been willing to converse, to dialogue.&#8221;
Trump demonstrated his new approach to fighting the drug war with a U.S. military strike on Tuesday that killed 11 people and sank a boat from Venezuela which Trump said was transporting illegal narcotics.
The U.S. president is weighing options for further strikes, including potentially attacking suspected drug cartel targets inside Venezuela, CNN reported on Friday, citing multiple sources briefed on the administration&#8217;s plans. Such a strike would mark a major escalation.
The White House, Pentagon and State Department did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment on the report.
The Trump administration has ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 fighter jets to a Puerto Rico airfield to conduct operations against drug cartels, sources told Reuters on Friday.
The new deployment comes on top of an already bristling U.S. military presence in the southern Caribbean as Trump carries out a campaign pledge to crack down on groups funneling drugs into the United States.
The disclosure about the F-35s came just hours after the Pentagon accused Venezuela of a &#8220;highly provocative&#8221; flight on Thursday by fighter jets near a U.S. Navy warship.
Trump warned Venezuela that the U.S. military had authorization to shoot down the jets if commanders believed they needed to, saying: &#8220;If they do put us in a dangerous position, they&#8217;ll be shot down.&#8221;
At every turn, the Trump administration has sought to tie Maduro&#8217;s government to narco trafficking, allegations Caracas denies.
Specifically, Trump has accused Maduro of running the Tren de Aragua gang, which his administration designated a terrorist organization in February. Maduro has denied any connection to Tren de Aragua, which his government says was rendered inactive in Venezuela by a prison raid in 2023.
Trump on Friday compared the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans in overdoses to war dead, as he sought to justify the muscular military activity in the Caribbean.
&#8220;Think if you&#8217;re in a war and you lose 300,000 &#8230; We&#8217;re not going to allow it to happen,&#8221; he said.
Venezuela&#8217;s Communications Ministry did not respond to a request for comment about the F-35s or the allegations that Venezuelan fighter jets flew over a U.S. warship.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity about the latest U.S. deployment, said the 10 fighter jets are being sent to conduct operations against designated narco-terrorist organizations operating in the southern Caribbean. The planes should arrive in the area by late next week, they said.
F-35s are highly advanced stealth fighters and would be effective in combat against Venezuela&#8217;s air force, which includes F-16 aircraft.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two Venezuelan F-16s flew over the guided missile destroyer Jason Dunham on Thursday. The Dunham is one of at least seven U.S. warships deployed to the Caribbean, carrying more than 4,500 sailors and Marines.
U.S. Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit have also been carrying out amphibious training and flight operations in southern Puerto Rico.
The buildup has put pressure on Maduro, whom U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called &#8220;effectively a kingpin of a drug narco state.&#8221;
Trump said on Tuesday that the U.S. military had identified the crew of the vessel as Tren de Aragua members.
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Phil Stewart; Editing by Scott Malone, Edwina Gibbs, Mark Porter, Alistair Bell and William Mallard)

Donald Trump

Trump Downplays Possible Regime Change In Venezuela; U.S. Deploys Stealth Fighter Jets

Drug Cartels

Global Politics

Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela

World

Venezuela on Thursday answered a U.S. strike on a suspected drug-running vessel by flying two fighter jets over a U.S. destroyer that was conducting anti-narco-terrorism patrols off its coast.
The two armed Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets flew over the USS Jason Dunham, an Aegis guided-missile destroyer, in an action that Defense Department officials described as a “show of force.” The United States responded on Friday by <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-deploying-10-fighter-jets-puerto-rico-drug-cartel-fight-sources-say-2025-09-05/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">significantly ramping up</a> its regional military presence, deploying 10 F‑35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico, two sources told Reuters.
The Pentagon released a warning on X, saying on Thursday: “Today, two Maduro regime military aircraft flew near a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters. This highly provocative move was designed to interfere with our counter narco-terror operations. The cartel running Venezuela is strongly advised not to pursue any further effort to obstruct, deter or interfere with counter-narcotics and counter-terror operations carried out by the US military.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/PSxm3uRsfM">pic.twitter.com/PSxm3uRsfM</a>
&mdash; Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense/status/1963775938233299235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the American strike on the alleged narcotics smuggling boat that reportedly killed 11 people on board, posting on X, “Today the U.S. military conducted a lethal strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug vessel which had departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization.”
The strike occurred against the backdrop of a deepening standoff between President Donald Trump and Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. In early August, Trump <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-freezes-venezuela-government-assets-in-escalation-of-tensions/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">froze Venezuelan government assets</a> — the most sweeping action against Maduro’s regime in decades — and slapped a $50 million bounty on Maduro, calling him a global drug trafficker. Maduro responded by <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/venezuela-maduro-says-no-way-us-can-invade-warships-deployed/">mobilizing</a> more than 15,000 troops along the Colombian border, boasting, “There’s no way they can enter Venezuela.”
In August, Trump directed the Pentagon to deploy U.S. troops and warships amid mounting “threats to U.S. national security from specially designated narco‑terrorist organizations” operating in the region, according to Reuters.
The U.S. Department of Justice in the first Trump administration<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52053799?utm_source=chatgpt.com"> indicted</a> Maduro and 14 senior officials on charges of narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, and corruption in 2020. It alleged a decades-long alliance with the FARC (a Marxist guerrilla group once considered one of the most powerful insurgent and narco-terrorist organizations in Latin America) to flood the United States with cocaine via the so-called Cartel of the Suns — a military-run trafficking network. A $15 million reward was offered for information leading to Maduro’s arrest.

Venezuela Taunts U.S. Navy, Pentagon Fires Back

Jets From Socialist Venezuela Taunt U.S. Destroyer — Pentagon Fires Back

narco-terrorism

President Donald Trump posted a video on Tuesday of a United States military strike against Tren de Aragua drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea.
The strike took place in international waters and killed nearly a dozen terrorist cartel members carrying illicit drugs, Trump said. A video of the strike showed a small boat motoring through water before bursting into flame.
“Earlier this morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“TDA is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, operating under the control of Nicolas Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere,” he added. “The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States.”
“The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE!” Trump concluded. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!!!!!!!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/vEVGYVgLAg">pic.twitter.com/vEVGYVgLAg</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1962990388211228951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
The president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-deploys-forces-to-take-on-latin-american-drug-cartels-in-the-southern-caribbean">ordered</a> U.S. military assets to the south Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela last month to counter drug cartels, which his administration has classified as foreign terrorist organizations. The president has ratcheted up pressure on Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, who the United States has targeted as a top cartel official.
In August, the United States <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hikes-bounty-on-venezuelas-maduro-to-50m">doubled</a> its bounty on information leading to Maduro’s arrest from $25 million to $50 million.
“Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like TDA, Sinaloa, and Cartel of the Suns to bring deadly drugs and violence into our country. To date, the DEA has seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro and his associates with nearly seven tons linked to Maduro himself,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“The DOJ has seized over $700 million of Maduro-linked assets, including two private jets, nine vehicles, and more,” she added. “Yet, Maduro’s reign of terror continues. He is one of the largest narco traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security.”

U.S. Drone Strikes Cartel Drug Boat, Trump Posts Video For World To See: ‘BEWARE!’

Crime

Tren De Aragua

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday afternoon that American forces had taken out a “drug-carrying boat” coming out of Venezuela.
Trump made the comments during a press conference from the White House announcing that Space Command will be moving its headquarters from Colorado to Alabama. He said that the Joint Chiefs of Staff had briefed him just before the press conference.
“When you come out and when you leave the room, you’ll see that we just, over the last few minutes literally, shot out a boat, a drug-carrying boat, a lot of drugs in that boat. And you’ll be seeing that, and you’ll be reading about that,” Trump said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: We just, over the last few minutes, shot out a drug-carrying boat&#8230; and there&#8217;s more where that came from&#8230; These came out of Venezuela. <a href="https://t.co/JlurCZWBpG">pic.twitter.com/JlurCZWBpG</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1962955342523879613?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“It just happened moments ago and our great general, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who has been so incredible, including what took place in Iran knocking out potential nuclear power for a long time to come … he gave us a little bit of a briefing. And you’ll see. There&#8217;s more where that came from. We have a lot of drugs pouring into our country. Coming in for a long time,” he added.
He said that the boat came out of Venezuela. “We took it out and you’ll get to see that after this meeting is over,” Trump said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the strike in a post on X.
“As [Trump] just announced moments ago, today the U.S. military conducted a lethal strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug vessel which had departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization,” Rubio posted on X.
The strike comes as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maduro-accuses-u-s-of-seeking-a-regime-change-after-trump-deploys-military-to-south-caribbean">tensions have been rising</a> between Trump and Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Last month, Trump directed the Pentagon to deploy U.S. troops and warships to address “threats to U.S. national security from specially designated narco-terrorist organizations in the region,” according to Reuters.
The Trump administration has accused Maduro and his government of taking part in massive drug trafficking operations that smuggle narcotics into the United States. The government recently increased the bounty on Maduro to $50 million, citing his alleged ties to transnational gangs and drug cartels.

President Trump Makes Announcement In The Oval Office Of The White House

Trump Says Military Took Out Venezuelan Boat Carrying ‘A Lot Of Drugs’

Marco Rubio

U.S. Military

Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro said on Monday that the United States is seeking to oust him after President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-deploys-forces-to-take-on-latin-american-drug-cartels-in-the-southern-caribbean?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=U.S.+Deploys+Forces+To+Take+On+Latin+American+Drug+Cartels+In+The+Southern+Caribbean">deployed</a> the military to the Southern Caribbean to take on Latin American drug cartels.
Speaking to journalists, Maduro said that Venezuela must confront &#8220;the biggest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years,&#8221; adding, &#8220;They are seeking a regime change through military threat,&#8221; Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/maduro-claims-us-seeks-regime-change-military-threat-caribbean-buildup">reported</a>. The Venezuelan leader said that his country is &#8220;super prepared&#8221; to address any threats to its sovereignty.
&#8220;A situation like this has never been seen,&#8221; he added.
Last month, Trump directed the Pentagon to deploy U.S. troops and warships to address &#8220;threats to U.S. national security from specially designated narco-terrorist organizations in the region,&#8221; according to Reuters. The Trump administration has accused Maduro and his government of taking part in massive drug trafficking operations that smuggle narcotics into the United States. The government recently increased the bounty on Maduro to $50 million, citing his alleged ties to transnational gangs and drug cartels.
After President Trump took office in January, the State Department also designated the Venezuelan international criminal gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA), as a foreign terrorist organization. The State Department also recently added the Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles to the foreign terrorist list.
The United States recognized Maduro&#8217;s opponent, Edmundo González, as the rightful leader of Venezuela after the Maduro regime appeared to rig the 2024 election to keep the socialist leader in power. González was forced to flee to Spain after Venezuelan authorities announced that Maduro had won the election.
On August 18, three U.S. guided-missile destroyers headed to the Southern Caribbean near the Venezuelan coast, and a U.S. official <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-deploys-warships-near-venezuela-to-combat-drug-threats-sources-say?author=Reuters&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=U.S.+Deploys+Warships+Near+Venezuela+To+Combat+Drug+Threats%2C+Sources+Say">told</a> Reuters that around 4,000 sailors and Marines were also expected to be deployed to the region as part of Trump&#8217;s crackdown on drug cartels.
The president has made it a priority to stop the flow of deadly drugs, such as fentanyl, into the United States and take on drug cartels and criminal gangs — both inside and outside of the country. Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCGjPpNG4xA">said</a> during his joint address to Congress in March that &#8220;the cartels are waging war on America, and it&#8217;s time for America to wage war on the cartels.&#8221;
The Trump administration also worked out deals with Mexico to bring incarcerated drug lords to U.S. soil, where they can face charges. Last week, former drug lord El Mayo — a co-founder of the powerful Mexican Sinaloa cartel — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bondi-cartel-kingpin-will-die-in-a-u-s-federal-prison-where-he-belongs">pleaded guilty</a> to racketeering.
“Thanks to the relentless work of our prosecutors and our federal agents, El Mayo will spend the rest of his life behind bars. He will die in a U.S. federal prison where he belongs,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said. “His guilty plea brings us one step closer to achieving our goal of the elimination of the drug cartels and the transnational criminal organizations throughout this world that are flooding our country with drugs and human traffickers and homicides.”
While the United States has successfully extradited former drug lords from Mexico, the Mexican government opposes the United States deploying any troops to the country. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mexican-president-says-u-s-military-will-not-fight-drug-cartels-on-its-soil">said</a> last month, “That is ruled out, absolutely ruled out. It is not part of any agreement, far from it. When it has been brought up, we have always said no.”

Maduro Accuses U.S. Of ‘Seeking A Regime Change’ After Trump Deploys Military To South Caribbean

Politics

Trump Administration

The United States doubled its reward on information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday, offering $50 million.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the new bounty in a video statement, highlighting Maduro’s ties to drug cartels and calling the South American dictator a threat to U.S. national security.
“Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like TDA, Sinaloa, and Cartel of the Suns to bring deadly drugs and violence into our country. To date, the DEA has seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro and his associates with nearly seven tons linked to Maduro himself,” said Bondi.
“The DOJ has seized over $700 million of Maduro-linked assets, including two private jets, nine vehicles, and more,” she added. “Yet, Maduro&#8217;s reign of terror continues. He is one of the largest narco traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheJusticeDept</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/StateDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StateDept</a> are announcing a $50 MILLION REWARD for information leading to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro. <a href="https://t.co/D8LNqjS9yk">pic.twitter.com/D8LNqjS9yk</a>
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/1953583017353466306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
The United States’ bounty on Maduro previously increased in January when the Biden administration increased it to $25 million. The higher bounty came after the United States accused Maduro of claiming victory over a fraudulent election last year.
The United States has not recognized Maduro as Venezuela&#8217;s lawful leader since 2019, after the dictator claimed victory over the “deeply flawed 2018 presidential election,” according to the Department of Justice.
The Department of Justice first placed a bounty on Maduro in 2020, set at $15 million.
During his first term, President Donald Trump began to <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-in-final-parting-shot-hits-venezuela-with-sanctions">ratchet</a> up pressure on Maduro. One of Trump’s last acts of his first term was to put in place sweeping sanctions on assets and people suspected of aiding Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA, of trading its fuel.
Venezuela’s economy has collapsed under the Maduro regime, with millions of residents fleeing the country. The regime has kept afloat almost entirely from the country’s oil industry. Venezuela possesses the world’s largest proven oil reserves.
Earlier this year, Trump reversed course on a decision to cancel Venezuela’s license to work with Chevron to export oil to the United States. Chevron first obtained the license to work in Venezuela in 2022, and Trump canceled the license in February.
The president <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/trump-admin-allows-chevron-again-pump-oil-venezuela-reversing-ban">renewed</a> the license in July, reportedly as part of a prisoner swap that saw 10 American hostages returned to the United States from Venezuela.

Trump Hikes Bounty On Venezuela’s Maduro To $50M

Department of Justice

Pam Bondi

On Tuesday night, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the United States had rescued all the hostages kept by the socialist Venezuelan Maduro regime at the Argentinian Embassy in Caracas.
Those five hostages were members of the opposition to Nicholas Maduro’s brutal regime. “The government of Argentine President Javier Milei allowed the five people into the ambassador’s residence in March 2024, when authorities loyal to Venezuela’s ruling party issued warrants for their arrest, accusing them of promoting acts of violence to destabilize the country,” The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/05/06/venezuela-argentina-caracas-political-opposition-us-rubio/9ee7c378-2ada-11f0-a724-3bc879c9f843_story.html">reported</a>, adding, “Since late November, the group had denounced the constant presence of intelligence service agents and police outside the residence.”
“The U.S. welcomes the successful rescue of all hostages held by the Maduro regime at the Argentinian Embassy in Caracas,” Rubio wrote on X. “Following a precise operation, all hostages are now safely on U.S. soil. Maduro&#8217;s illegitimate regime has undermined Venezuela&#8217;s institutions, violated human rights, and endangered our regional security. We extend our gratitude to all personnel involved in this operation and to our partners who assisted in securing the safe liberation of these Venezuelan heroes.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The U.S. welcomes the successful rescue of all hostages held by the Maduro regime at the Argentinian Embassy in Caracas. 
Following a precise operation, all hostages are now safely on U.S. soil. Maduro&#39;s illegitimate regime has undermined Venezuela&#39;s institutions, violated human…
&mdash; Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio/status/1919905924149330199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
In January, Milei met with exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia in Casa Rosada, declaring him the Venezuelan “president elect.”
“Venezuelans, we will also meet in the streets of our beloved country,” González Urrutia wrote on X.
After the meeting, the Argentine government called González Urrutia “Venezuela’s president-elect,” adding he “is under political persecution by the regime of dictator Nicolás Maduro,” the Buenos Aires Herald <a href="https://buenosairesherald.com/world/international-relations/milei-calls-urrutia-venezuelas-president-elect-as-tension-with-caracas-skyrockets">reported</a>.
Maduro was declared the winner of the July 2024 presidential election in Venezuela by the National Electoral Council, while the opposition claimed that they were the winners. Milei wrote on X, “Venezuelans have chosen to end Nicolás Maduro&#8217;s communist dictatorship. The data indicates a crushing victory for the opposition, and the world awaits its recognition of defeat after years of socialism, misery, decadence, and death. Argentina will not acknowledge another fraud, and expects the Armed Forces to defend democracy and the popular will this time.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
DICTADOR MADURO, AFUERA!!!
Los venezolanos eligieron terminar con la dictadura comunista de Nicolás Maduro. Los datos anuncian una victoria aplastante de la oposición y el mundo aguarda que reconozca la derrota luego de años de socialismo, miseria, decadencia y muerte.…
&mdash; Javier Milei (@JMilei) <a href="https://twitter.com/JMilei/status/1817760569404842400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
When González Urrutia met with Milei, he gave him a framed voting tally showing he had won.

US-DIPLOMACY-RUBIO-CARICOM

Rubio Announces U.S. Rescued 5 Hostages Held By Maduro In Venezuela

Argentina

Javier Milei

Rescue

According to the FBI, some Venezuelan government officials, in order to erode public safety in the United States, “likely facilitate” the migration of Tren de Aragua gang members to the United States.
Tren de Aragua has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration.
The Venezuelan move to destabilize other countries also includes Chile, Ecuador, and Peru, Fox News Digital <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/venezuelan-government-uses-tren-de-aragua-proxies-undermine-us-public-safety-fbi-assessment-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, adding, “The FBI assesses that in the next six to 18 months, Venezuelan government officials likely will attempt to leverage Tren de Aragua members in the United States as proxy actors to threaten, abduct and kill members of the Venezuelan diaspora in the United States who are vocal critics of [Venezuala President Nicolás] Maduro and his regime.”
“These findings should shock Americans but not the law enforcement community,” an unnamed Trump administration official told Fox Digital. “They reflect the sentiments of numerous other intelligence assessments across multiple agencies. Nicholas Maduro is a Marxist dictator who hijacked a once-prosperous Venezuela and brought in nothing but total economic collapse and gang takeover. He crumbled Caracas, now overrun with drugs and violence, and wants to do the same across the United States by sending his most violent and dangerous criminals into our communities.&#8221;
“The Trump administration will continue to use every authority in our power to make sure these TdA terrorists, who are some of the worst in the world, are kept out of our country,&#8221; the official continued. “The American people voted overwhelmingly to make America safe again, and that is exactly what we will do.&#8221;
On April 18, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-alien-enemies-act-venezuela-tren-de-aragua-103919f71db9a9e7a9a3de1028585483" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, “A new U.S. intelligence assessment found no coordination between Tren de Aragua and the Venezuelan government, contradicting statements that Trump administration officials have made to justify their invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and deporting Venezuelan migrants, according to U.S. officials. The classified assessment from the National Intelligence Council, released this month, is more comprehensive and authoritative than an earlier intelligence product released Feb. 26 and reported last month by The New York Times.”
Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard reacted harshly, writing on X:
<blockquote>
The weaponization of intelligence to undermine the President’s agenda is an assault on democracy. Those behind this illegal leak of classified intelligence, twisted and manipulated to convey the exact opposite finding, will be held accountable under the full force of the law. Rooting out this politicization of intelligence is exactly what President Trump campaigned on and what Americans overwhelmingly voted for. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence fully supports the assessment that the foreign terrorist organization, Tren De Aragua, is acting with the support of the Maduro Regime, and thus subject to arrest, detention and removal as alien enemies of the United States.
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The weaponization of intelligence to undermine the President’s agenda is an assault on democracy. Those behind this illegal leak of classified intelligence, twisted and manipulated to convey the exact opposite finding, will be held accountable under the full force of the law.…
&mdash; DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) <a href="https://twitter.com/DNIGabbard/status/1914449185618767911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
An official from the office of DNI said the information Fox News Digital was reporting was “based on intelligence that the illegal leakers and propaganda media conveniently did not include because it gets in the way of their biased narrative and attempt to deceive the American people.”

27 alleged gang members indicted in New York City

FBI: Maduro’s Venezuelan Govt Helping Tren De Aragua Terrorist Group Migrate To U.S.

Terrorism

Terrorists

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz defended over the weekend the administration&#8217;s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport members of the Venezuelan illegal alien terrorist group Tren de Aragua.
Waltz made the remarks during a Sunday CBS News interview with Margaret Brennan on &#8220;Face The Nation&#8221; when asked about approximately 250 members of Tren de Aragua who were deported several days ago to El Salvador.
&#8220;President Trump has determined that this group is acting as a terrorist organization,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It is terrorizing our communities through attacks, torture, rape and the most awful of situations for those communities, number one.&#8221;
&#8220;And, number two, the Alien Sedition Act fully applies because we have also determined that this group is acting as a proxy of the Maduro regime,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;TDA is acting as a proxy of the Maduro regime. This is how the Alien [Enemies] Act applies. And we cannot have district judges interfering with the commander in chief&#8217;s actions to take care of in the way he deems necessary a terrorist organization.&#8221;
Waltz said that Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro was &#8220;deliberately emptying his prisons in a proxy manner to influence and attack the United States.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz defends the Trump administration&#8217;s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Tren de Aragua gang members, telling <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a>, &#8220;this group is acting as a proxy of the Maduro regime.&#8221;
When asked if the administration has… <a href="https://t.co/TQW503BcnF">pic.twitter.com/TQW503BcnF</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1903860601316917745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></blockquote>

SAUDI-US-UKRAINE-CONFLICT-TALKS-DIPLOMACY

Waltz Defends Use Of Alien Enemies Act To Remove Tren De Aragua Terrorists

Illegal Immigration

Mike Waltz

President Donald Trump said this week that his administration is reversing President Joe Biden&#8217;s decision to ease sanctions against the government of Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Trump posted on social media: &#8220;We are hereby reversing the concessions that Crooked Joe Biden gave to Nicolás Maduro, of Venezuela, on the oil transaction agreement, dated November 26, 2022, and also having to do with Electoral conditions within Venezuela, which have not been met by the Maduro regime.&#8221;
&#8220;Additionally, the regime has not been transporting the violent criminals that they sent into our Country (the Good Ole’ U.S.A.) back to Venezuela at the rapid pace that they had agreed to,&#8221; Trump continued in his post on Wednesday.
&#8220;I am therefore ordering that the ineffective and unmet Biden &#8216;Concession Agreement&#8217; be terminated as of the March 1st option to renew,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221;
The move appears to be a blow for the United States oil company Chevron, which was granted an exception in 2022 to pump in Venezuela.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a subsequent statement that in accordance with Trump&#8217;s directive, he is &#8220;providing foreign policy guidance to terminate all Biden-era oil and gas licenses that have shamefully bankrolled the illegitimate Maduro regime.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, pursuant to <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> directive, I am providing foreign policy guidance to terminate all Biden-era oil and gas licenses that have shamefully bankrolled the illegitimate Maduro regime.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio/status/1894971586270380305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
The announcement comes after Trump special envoy Richard Grenell visited Venezuela last month and reportedly had secured commitments from their government to accept deportation flights from the United States.
“I would urge the Maduro government, the Maduro regime in Venezuela, to heed special envoy Ric Grenell’s message,” said Mauricio Claver-Carone, Trump’s special envoy to Latin America, at the time. “Ultimately there will be consequences otherwise.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-votes-to-ban-doing-business-with-socialist-maduros-venezuela-regime">House Votes To Ban Doing Business With Socialist Maduro’s Venezuela Regime</a>

Nicolas Maduro Delivers Annual Address To The Nation

Trump Turns Screws On Venezuela, Reversing Biden’s Soft Stance Toward The Dictatorship

President Donald Trump&#8217;s envoy for special missions <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/richard-grenell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richard Grenell</a> secured the release of six Americans from socialist Venezuela on Friday after being sent there to force them to take back illegal aliens from their country.
&#8220;We are wheels up and headed home with these 6 American citizens,&#8221; Grenell wrote in a post on X late on Friday. &#8220;They just spoke to @realDonaldTrump and they couldn’t stop thanking him.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We are wheels up and headed home with these 6 American citizens.
They just spoke to <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and they couldn’t stop thanking him. <a href="https://t.co/sCvCO4HQQv">pic.twitter.com/sCvCO4HQQv</a>
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/1885482064050610536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
Trump said Saturday morning that it was &#8220;so good to have the Venezuela Hostages back home and, very important to note, that Venezuela has agreed to receive, back into their Country, all Venezuela illegal aliens who were encamped in the U.S., including gang members of Tren de Aragua.&#8221;
The identities of the six Americans who were released were not immediately known.
&#8220;Venezuela has further agreed to supply the transportation back,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;We are in the process of removing record numbers of illegal aliens from all Countries, and all Countries have agreed to accept these illegal aliens back.&#8221;
&#8220;Furthermore, record numbers of criminals are being removed from our Country, and the Border numbers are the strongest they have been since the First Term of the Trump Administration!&#8221; he added.

Ric Grenell

Trump Envoy Richard Grenell Gets 6 American Hostages Released From Venezuela

Hostages

Richard Grenell

Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro, who has presided over the ruination of his country, will likely be inaugurated again as president on Friday despite evidence of having lost a July election to retired diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia and opposition mounting.
Meanwhile, Maduro has been brutalizing the opposition. “The regime arrested more than 2,000 dissidents after the July election controversy triggered mass demonstrations,” The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/venezuelan-opposition-leader-detained-as-regime-steps-up-crackdown-d6a52af8?mod=hp_lead_pos10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. “This week, regime forces arrested González’s son-in-law, Rafael Tudares, along with Carlos Correa, who is one of Venezuela’s most prominent advocates for freedom of expression.”
Opposition leader María Corina Machado was briefly detained on Thursday after she finally reappeared following months in hiding from the government’s secret police. Machado appeared at an East Caracas demonstration protesting Maduro’s imminent inauguration; she stated, “All this strength that we have built and that grows every day prepares us to finish this final phase. Whatever they do tomorrow, they will be completely buried.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Ahora mismo <a href="https://twitter.com/MariaCorinaYA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MariaCorinaYA</a> en Chacao <a href="https://t.co/Jq2ZM4Biwg">pic.twitter.com/Jq2ZM4Biwg</a>
&mdash; Rafael Hernández (@sincepto) <a href="https://twitter.com/sincepto/status/1877429087515394340?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%C3%9ALTIMAHORA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ÚLTIMAHORA</a> | María Corina Machado (<a href="https://twitter.com/MariaCorinaYA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MariaCorinaYA</a>): &quot;Toda esta fuerza que hemos construido y que crece cada día nos prepara para terminar esta fase final. Hagan lo que hagan mañana, se terminan de enterrar&quot;. 
Conéctate AQUÍ <a href="https://t.co/07p7jDX8yl">https://t.co/07p7jDX8yl</a> <a href="https://t.co/NTmwPIDyuX">pic.twitter.com/NTmwPIDyuX</a>
&mdash; VPItv (@VPITV) <a href="https://twitter.com/VPITV/status/1877429003549581555?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Machado’s party, Vent Venezuela, reported on X, “Today, leaving the rally in Chacao, Caracas, María Corina Machado was intercepted and knocked off the motorcycle she was riding. Firearms were fired during the incident. She was taken away by force. During the period of her kidnapping she was forced to record several videos and was later released.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Atenci%C3%B3n?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Atención</a> ‼️ 
Hoy, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9Ene?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9Ene</a>, saliendo de la concentración en Chacao, Caracas, María Corina Machado (<a href="https://twitter.com/MariaCorinaYA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MariaCorinaYA</a>) fue interceptada y tumbada de la moto en la que se trasladaba. En el suceso detonaron armas de fuego. Se la llevaron retenida por la fuerza. Durante el periodo de su…
&mdash; Vente Venezuela (@VenteVenezuela) <a href="https://twitter.com/VenteVenezuela/status/1877462114677186802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Earlier this week, Gonzalez, whom Maduro threatened with arrest if he returned to Venezuela, traveled to Washington D.C., where he met with incoming National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. He then went to Argentina and Panama with the ballots from the July election to prove he had won. “We elected by a landslide, a good man and Edmundo Gonzalez. We have the proof of that victory, and the whole world knows it,&#8221; Machado told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/venezuelan-opposition-leader-maria-machado-has-urgent-message-president-elect-donald-trump">Fox News</a>. “We won.”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/">JOIN THE MOVEMENT IN ’25 WITH 25% OFF DAILYWIRE+ ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS WITH CODE DW25</a>
“What we need is for all American institutions [to] understand that Venezuela is the most important conflict in the Western Hemisphere for national security of the U.S.,” Machado said. “We can be the best ally the United States will have in the Americas, first of all, because we also are desperate to solve the migration problem in our region. We want those Venezuelans to come back in billions and voluntarily. And that will happen when they&#8217;ll see there&#8217;s a future in their country. &#8230; Maduro has lost everything but fear and repression. Maduro lost all popular support, all legitimacy, and even he&#8217;s weakened or isolated internationally. What has he left? Russia, Iran, Hezbollah.”
“The regime has sent secret police units to encircle her family members’ homes, sent a drone over her mother’s house, and kidnapped President-elect Gonzalez&#8217;s brother-in-law on Tuesday,” Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/venezuelan-opposition-leader-maria-machado-has-urgent-message-president-elect-donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.
In addition, Hezbollah has provided support to Maduro&#8217;s regime, according to the <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/issue-brief/the-maduro-hezbollah-nexus-how-iran-backed-networks-prop-up-the-venezuelan-regime/">Atlantic Council</a>. “Too often, Hezbollah in Venezuela is characterized as only a potential terrorist threat. In reality, the Lebanese terrorist group has helped to turn Venezuela into a hub for the convergence of transnational organized crime and international terrorism. Hezbollah&#8217;s crime-terror network in Venezuela has facilitated Iran&#8217;s cooperation with the Maduro regime,” the Atlantic Council has reported.

Menu