Fears of a major military escalation in South America have intensified after US President Donald Trump explicitly threatened to launch land strikes inside Venezuela. The warning, delivered on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, marks a significant hardening of Washington's stance and raises the spectre of a direct armed conflict.
Trump's Direct Threat of Land Strikes
During a Cabinet meeting at the White House, President Trump confirmed that the United States is planning to escalate its military actions against Venezuela. He promised that strikes on land targets would begin "very soon." This statement was reported by CNN and represents a clear shift from previous naval interdiction operations.
"We're going to start doing those strikes on land too," Trump declared. He added, "We know where they live. We know where the bad ones live, and we're going to start that very soon." This assurance echoes comments he made just days earlier during a Thanksgiving call with service members, where he similarly indicated strikes on Venezuelan territory would commence imminently.
Broad Warning to Drug Trafficking Nations
The US President did not limit his threats to Venezuela alone. Speaking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting, he issued a stark warning to any nation involved in trafficking narcotics into the United States. The comments were made specifically in the context of cocaine entering from Colombia.
"Anybody that's doing that and selling it into our country is subject to attack," Trump stated. This broad declaration suggests a potential expansion of US military action under the guise of combating the drug trade, moving beyond the current campaign of targeting alleged drug boats at sea.
Context and Potential Consequences
The threat of land strikes inside Venezuela represents a dangerous escalation. For several weeks, the US has conducted maritime strikes, but operating within another sovereign nation's territory is a vastly different proposition. Such a move could quickly spiral into a full-blown military confrontation with unpredictable regional and global consequences.
The timing of Trump's comments is also notable. They come as his Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, faces intense scrutiny. Hegseth is under fire for allegedly ordering a follow-up strike on a suspected drug vessel that resulted in the deaths of 11 people.
As the situation develops, the international community watches with apprehension. The promise of imminent land strikes has dramatically heightened tensions, turning a campaign against drug trafficking into a potential trigger for a wider conflict.
