U.S. President Donald Trump received a detailed briefing this week on potential military options in Venezuela, including risks, alternatives and political ramifications, according to four sources cited by CNN. Officials emphasized that no decision has been made, with the president weighing costs, benefits and the broader impact on U.S. foreign policy.
At Wednesday’s session, senior national security officials presented updated contingencies—largely consistent with prior Pentagon deliberations—centred on U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) special operation codenamed “Southern Spear.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Kane were among those who outlined target sets and concepts of operation, the sources said.
Hegseth later announced Southern Spear on X, writing that the mission aims to defend the U.S. homeland by driving “narco-terrorists” from the Western Hemisphere and protecting the country from “drugs and murder.” SOUTHCOM, which oversees U.S. military activity in Central and South America and adjoining waters, would partially direct the operation. The U.S. has increased its regional posture in recent days, including the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to the Caribbean.
Options shown to the president reportedly range from airstrikes on Venezuelan military and government facilities to strikes on cocaine production hubs and trafficking routes—and, in the most escalatory scenario, operations targeting President Nicolás Maduro himself. Earlier reporting indicated the administration had explored plans focused on counter-narcotics strikes inside Venezuela.
Yet officials noted significant constraints. Administration representatives told members of Congress last week that the U.S. currently lacks a clear legal basis for certain strikes against land targets. Trump, who has previously shown interest in action against Caracas, told CBS’s “60 Minutes” recently that he is not considering an attack. The White House, sources said, remains alert to the dangers of failure, risks to U.S. forces, and possible geopolitical blowback—factors that could prolong deliberations or halt action altogether.
Caracas has announced large-scale force mobilizations to deter any U.S. attack, and Venezuelan officials have signalled preparations for irregular warfare. The brewing standoff underscores a volatile tableau: heightened U.S. military readiness, an unveiled operational framework, and a commander-in-chief who—at least for now—has pressed pause.