The United States is not officially “at war” with Venezuela, but tensions have spiked because the Trump administration has launched lethal strikes, blockades, and covert operations it says are aimed at drug traffickers and Nicolás Maduro’s government, while Venezuela and many outside observers view these as acts of aggression and intimidation.

What is actually happening?

  • Since late 2025, the U.S. has carried out deadly maritime strikes on boats it claims are used for drug trafficking, many near or along the Venezuelan coast, causing dozens of deaths and a major regional outcry.
  • The U.S. has also built up its military presence in the Caribbean to levels not seen in about fifty years, including naval deployments and multiple operations against so‑called “narco‑terrorist” vessels.
  • Reports describe at least one CIA drone strike on a port facility inside Venezuela and the seizure or blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers under sanctions, further escalating confrontation with Maduro’s government.

Why is the U.S. doing this?

U.S. officials frame these moves as part of a broader campaign against drug trafficking and what they call “narco‑terrorist” networks tied to senior Venezuelan figures, including Maduro himself.

  • Washington has labeled Maduro illegitimate and repeatedly accused his government and associated military networks (like the “Cartel de los Soles”) of running large‑scale cocaine and drug smuggling operations.
  • In 2025 Trump reportedly approved secret directives allowing military force against certain Latin American drug‑trafficking groups, and later publicly bragged that maritime strikes had “almost totally stopped” drug smuggling by sea.
  • U.S. strategy also includes heavy economic sanctions, oil shipment blockades, and financial pressure intended to weaken Maduro’s inner circle and, in practice, push toward political change in Caracas.

Why does Venezuela call it an attack?

From Caracas’s perspective, these are not just anti‑drug operations but clear violations of sovereignty and potential preparation for regime change.

  • Venezuela’s government has condemned the U.S. actions as “hostile,” “illegal,” and part of an effort to overthrow Maduro, and has taken the dispute to the U.N. Security Council.
  • Trump’s late‑2025 declaration that airspace “above and surrounding Venezuela” should be considered closed, combined with covert strikes and military build‑ups, has been described by Venezuelan officials as an “act of aggression.”
  • International bodies and some foreign governments warn that these moves risk escalating into a broader conflict and undermine the principle of non‑intervention in another state’s internal affairs.

How did it get this bad?

The current flare‑up sits on top of more than two decades of deteriorating U.S.–Venezuela relations.

  • Tensions deepened under Hugo Chávez and then Maduro over issues like oil policy, U.S. sanctions, disputed elections, and crackdowns on opposition groups.
  • In 2019, the U.S. recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president, which Maduro denounced as an attempted coup; the diplomatic rupture and mutual distrust never really healed.
  • By Trump’s second term, Washington had moved from sanctions and diplomatic isolation to open military pressure, including strikes at sea and on Venezuelan territory, plus talk of possible future land operations against “drug traffickers.”

What’s happening right now (early 2026)?

  • Venezuelan forces have detained at least several U.S. citizens in recent months, which U.S. officials see as leverage in this growing standoff.
  • There are ongoing reports of explosions and incidents in and around Caracas, though responsibility and details are sometimes unclear, feeding public fears of a larger confrontation.
  • Analysts note that this pressure campaign is part of a longer historical pattern of U.S. interventionism in Latin America, but also warn that today’s mix of sanctions, covert actions, and military signals is pushing both sides into their most volatile phase in decades.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.