Vicious 'wild card' cartels could ambush American tourists at plush Caribbean resorts if Donald Trump follows through with strikes on Venezuela, a security expert has warned. The warning comes after the Trump administration announced it would escalate efforts against narco-gangsters following deadly strikes on suspected drug boats off the coast of Venezuela in August.
Retired US Marines Colonel Mark Cancian, senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Mirror that while the Maduro regime could collapse under sustained bombardment, cartels are a more loose network without a single figurehead, making them unpredictable. 'The wild card in all of this is the cartels. So far the cartels have kept their head down. They've not reacted in pushing boats forward but they haven't taken any action against the United States. That could happen,' Cancian said.
Cancian warned that elements within the cartels, which are extremely violent, could strike at the United States by ambushing a military convoy on Puerto Rico or attacking a resort with US citizens. 'If that happens it would change the whole complexion of the campaign,' he added. Should cartels launch an attack against American civilians or military personnel, Trump would likely respond with an extended air campaign and possibly ground forces.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Operation Southern Spear, stating on X/Twitter: 'Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and @SOUTHCOM, this mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people.' The US Navy's presence in the Caribbean, including the USS Gerald R Ford, has significantly enhanced American firepower in the region.
Cancian said initial targets could include production facilities, remote airfields, port warehouses, and ship building facilities used by cartels. However, he cautioned that while attacks against cartels targeting innocent Americans would have widespread support, it is unclear whether the US public would readily back strikes against Venezuela, given Trump's pledge to end lengthy US involvement in foreign wars.
