U.S. Plans To Occupy Venezuelan Oil Fields, Target Maduro – Report

Illustrative image. (U.S. Marine Corps)

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has developed a range of options for military action in Venezuela, The New York Times reported on November 4, citing multiple U.S. officials.

Tensions have been the U.S. and Venezuela since August, when the Trump administration doubled the reward for the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro Maduro to $50 million on drug trafficking charges then deployed an amphibious ready group with thousands of marines to the Caribbean Sea on a so-called “counter narco-terror operation”.

In October, the administration escalated further by ordering the deployment of an entire carrier strike group close to the coast of Venezuela.

The U.S. military has already carried out 15 strikes against boats allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing 64 people.

Multiple recent reports from U.S. media suggest that the Trump administration is about to order some large attack on Venezuela.

Asked if the U.S. was going to war against the country during a CBS interview released on November 2, Trump replied: “I doubt it. I don’t think so.” However, when asked if Maduro’s days as president were numbered, the president replied: “I would say yeah. I think so.”

According to the NYT latest report, Trump has been already presented with three main military options to deal with Venezuela.

The first option would involve airstrikes against military facilities, some of which might be involved in facilitating drug trafficking, with the aim of collapsing Venezuelan military support for Maduro.

If Maduro believed he was no longer protected, he might seek to flee — or, in moving around the country, make himself more vulnerable to capture, U.S. officials told the newspaper, which noted that critics of this option warn that it could rally support around the Venezuelan president.

The second option envisions the U.S. sending special operations forces, such as the Army’s Delta Force or the Navy’s SEAL Team 6, to try to capture or kill Maduro.

NYT noted that under this option, the Trump administration would seek to sidestep prohibitions against assassinating foreign leaders by arguing that Maduro is, first and foremost, the head of a narcoterrorist gang.

A third option involves a much more complicated plan to send U.S. “counterterrorism forces” to seize control of airfields and at least some of Venezuela’s oil fields and infrastructure.

Trump is yet, however, to make a decision about how or even whether to proceed against Maduro, according to the newspaper.

U.S. officials told NYT that Trump is reluctant to approve operations that may place American troops at risk or could turn into an embarrassing failure. But many of his senior advisers are pressing for one of the most aggressive options to remove Maduro from power.

Trump’s aides have asked the Justice Department for additional guidance that could provide a legal basis for any military action beyond the current campaign of striking boats.

Venezuela has been actively preparing for a U.S. attack by mobilizing, deploying air defenses and conducting military exercises.

Recent reports also revealed that Maduro had asked Russia, China and Iran for military support, and that shipment of drones was sent by the latter.

The NYT report should be taken seriously. However, it may be just a part of a media campaign meant to pressure Maduro into submission. In the end, the Trump administration is clearly after Venezuela’s oil reserve, which is estimated to be the largest in the world. If a deal can be reached on some form of joint investment, Trump will likely back down.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence

NOW hosted at southfront.press

Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.

The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation

Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com

SOUTHFRONT.PRESS

MORE ON THIS TOPIC: