The United States has dramatically escalated its military posture in the Caribbean, with senior officials including President Donald Trump refusing to dismiss the possibility of open conflict with Venezuela. The development comes as Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro orders his navy to escort oil tankers, defying the largest US naval fleet deployed to the region in decades.
Military Buildup and Rhetorical Escalation
In a stark interview with NBC News broadcast on Friday, President Trump explicitly declined to rule out going to war with the regime of Nicolás Maduro. "I don't rule it out, no," Trump stated during a phone call with the network. This sentiment was echoed by senior US officials, signalling a significant hardening of Washington's stance.
The rhetorical escalation is matched by a tangible military presence. The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima was photographed docked in Ponce, Puerto Rico this week, a visible component of the US buildup. At a year-end press conference, Senator Marco Rubio emphasised the US right to use "every element of national power" to defend its interests, a clear warning to Caracas.
Crippling the 'Dark Fleet': Oil Revenue Under Siege
The immediate flashpoint is Venezuela's crucial oil industry. A recent US seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast has triggered a major disruption in the so-called "dark fleet" used to export oil from the heavily sanctioned nation. Industry data reveals this move is set to slash significant revenues from Maduro's government.
Analysis from maritime data company Windward AI shows a significant shift in vessel activity. Of over 30 sanctioned tankers operating in Venezuelan waters, many are now sheltering in the Indian Ocean to avoid US interdiction. A report noted that 59 "high-risk vessels" are either trapped in the blockade zone or manipulating their locations to evade detection.
Experts believe this naval blockade increases the likelihood of a direct US attempt to unseat Maduro by slowly starving his regime of oil income, particularly from sales to China. Jason Marczak of the Atlantic Council stated the blockade "elevates the Caribbean campaign from a counter-drug operation to one that is also cutting off the financial lifelines to Maduro."
Internal White House Support for Hardline Stance
Within the Trump administration, key aides are reportedly championing more direct action. Figures such as Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Senator Marco Rubio, a long-time critic of the Venezuelan regime, have thrown their support behind the escalating campaign.
Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles, undermined official claims that law enforcement was the primary goal, telling Vanity Fair the President "wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle." Rubio, at his press conference, framed the US national interest as confronting a regime that cooperates with Iran, Hezbollah, and narco-trafficking organisations.
Maduro has denounced the tanker seizure as "piracy" and, without providing evidence, accused Trinidad and Tobago of involvement. Notably, the Caribbean nation recently announced it would grant the US military access to its airports following the installation of a new radar system.
With approximately 15,000 US troops positioned near Venezuela and a campaign of strikes that has already resulted in over 100 casualties, the situation represents the most serious escalation in US-Venezuela relations for years. The US strategy appears focused on applying maximum financial and military pressure on Caracas, with the ultimate goal, as articulated by Rubio, being to "change that dynamic" of the current status quo.
