White House doesn’t rule out boots on the ground in Venezuela as Trump convenes top security team
Washington — On Monday President Trump will bring his national‑security team together in the Oval Office to weigh the next steps in the U.S. campaign against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. The White House confirms that the commander‑in‑chief has not yet made a definitive call about deploying American forces on the ground. In a briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that “I will confirm that the president will be meeting with his national security team…” and that the discussion could include a “final decision” about U.S. action in Venezuela. She added, without revealing details, that the president “meets with his national security team quite often” and emphasized that it is part of his duty to “ensure that peace is ongoing throughout the world.”
The meeting is expected to be attended by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, according to CNN. At the same time, the Pentagon has deployed eleven warships—including an aircraft carrier—as well as 15,000 troops in the waters off Venezuela. A Marine Expeditionary Unit capable of launching an amphibious assault has also been positioned nearby. Navy Secretary John Phelan told Fox News that the military’s primary task is “to defend the homeland,” and that the assets currently on the scene are being used for that purpose.
So far, the U.S. has limited its conflict with Maduro’s so‑called narcoterrorist regime to maritime operations, striking drug vessels in the region and killing at least 83 Venezuelans involved in illegal cocaine trafficking. President Trump has said that he has not ruled out a land assault on Venezuela and has already instructed the CIA to carry out clandestine operations inside the country. When asked whether troops might still be deployed to Latin America, Leavitt noted that “There’s many options at the president’s disposal that are on the table, and I’ll let him speak to those.”
The administration is also pursuing a diplomatic path, conducting months of talks with Maduro—who has claimed victory in the country’s last two elections—desiring either a cooperative arrangement or a voluntary step‑down. A source close to the administration told The Post that “Strikes should have happened weeks ago. It’s now or never,” and that “Maduro won’t go on his own. Just not going to happen.”
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