Trump Plans US Campaign Against Venezuelan Drug Cartel

In Washington, President Donald Trump convened top national security officials on Monday evening for an Oval Office meeting to plan the next phase of a U.S. military campaign against Venezuela's primary drug-trafficking organization, as Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro publicly rallied supporters in Caracas to defend his government amid escalating tensions.

The gathering, attended by senior aides including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, came as the administration prepares to extend counternarcotics operations onto Venezuelan soil. Trump announced last week that land-based efforts would soon target trafficking networks, shifting from previous actions focused on intercepting speedboats in the Caribbean. U.S. strikes on suspected drug vessels have resulted in more than 80 deaths since September, according to Pentagon data, though some lawmakers have raised questions about their legal basis absent a formal declaration of war.

Maduro, who has led Venezuela for over 12 years, faces U.S. accusations of directing the Cartel de los Soles, a network allegedly run by his inner circle. The Justice Department indicted him and more than a dozen officials in 2020, describing the regime as...