President Trump informed United States service members on Thanksgiving Day that military operations against Venezuelan drug trafficking networks will expand to land-based interdiction efforts in the near future.
During a video conference with troops stationed at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas, the president specifically praised the Air Force’s 7th Bomb Wing for their recent work deterring Venezuelan drug operations. His remarks signal a significant expansion of ongoing counter-narcotics efforts that have primarily focused on maritime interdiction.
“In recent weeks, you have been working to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers, of which there are many,” Trump told the assembled service members. “Of course, there are not too many coming in by sea anymore. Have you probably noticed that?”
The president cited the deadly toll of narcotics entering American communities, noting that drug traffickers are responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of Americans annually through the poisons they smuggle across borders and through shipping lanes.
According to Trump, current maritime interdiction efforts have achieved approximately 85 percent effectiveness in stopping drug shipments by sea. This success rate appears to have forced trafficking organizations to seek alternative routes, a shift the administration is preparing to counter.
“You probably noticed that now people are not wanting to be delivering by sea, and we will be starting to stop them by land also,” Trump explained. “The land is easier, but that is going to start very soon.”
The president’s remarks come amid an intensifying military campaign against narcotics vessels in international waters. Since early September, American forces have conducted dozens of strikes across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean regions, destroying vessels linked to Venezuelan and Colombian criminal organizations.
Many of the targeted operations have connections to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang and Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional. The administration has characterized these groups as narco-terrorist organizations, justifying military action under counter-terrorism authorities.
Earlier this month, Trump declined to rule out deploying American ground troops into Venezuelan territory itself, marking a potentially significant escalation in the administration’s approach to the crisis. When asked directly whether he had ruled out such action, the president responded that he does not rule out anything.
The Southern Command has released footage of precision strikes on narcotics vessels, including a November operation that targeted a boat operated by what officials described as a designated terrorist organization. These strikes represent a departure from traditional law enforcement approaches to drug interdiction, employing military force against suspected traffickers in international waters.
The administration’s aggressive posture toward Venezuelan-linked drug networks reflects broader tensions with the Maduro regime in Caracas. American officials have repeatedly accused Venezuelan leadership of complicity in narcotics trafficking and of providing safe haven to criminal organizations that target American communities.
As the holiday season approaches, the president’s message to troops emphasized both gratitude for their service and determination to protect American lives from the scourge of illegal drugs. The coming weeks will reveal the operational details of how land-based interdiction efforts will be conducted and whether they will involve operations on foreign soil.
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