The Trump administration is considering several options for direct military action against Venezuela
The administration of US President Donald Trump has developed several scenarios for direct military action against Venezuela. They include strikes on forces protecting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, The New York Times reports.
One option involves airstrikes on military facilities, some of which are allegedly involved in drug trafficking, in an attempt to undermine Maduro’s military support.
Another scenario involves using special operations forces — such as the Army’s “Delta-Force” or the Navy’s “Team 6” — to try to capture or eliminate Maduro; in that case, the administration planned to justify such actions by saying that he was acting as the head of a narco-terrorist group in order to circumvent the ban on assassinating foreign leaders.
Another, more complex plan involves the introduction of American counterterrorism forces to take control of airfields and at least part of the country’s oil fields and other key infrastructure.
At the moment, Trump has not made any final decisions: officials say he does not want to approve operations that could threaten the lives of American military personnel or end in a public defeat, while a number of his advisers insist on one of the most drastic scenarios – the removal of Maduro from power.
