In a dramatic escalation of his administration's "war on drugs," US President Donald Trump has declared that any nation he believes is manufacturing narcotics destined for illegal sale in the United States could face military attack.
Venezuela in the Crosshairs for Imminent Action
The stark warning came during a White House question and answer session with reporters on Tuesday, 2 December 2025, following a cabinet meeting. Trump specifically singled out Venezuela, a country he has repeatedly accused of narco-terrorism, stating that military strikes on land targets inside its borders would "start very soon."
When pressed on whether the Pentagon's focus was solely on Venezuela, the President broadened the threat. "If they come in through a certain country, or any country, or if we think they're building mills, whether its fentanyl or cocaine... anybody doing that and selling it into our country is subject to attack. Not just Venezuela," Trump asserted. He went further, claiming he had "heard" that Colombia was "making cocaine, they have cocaine plants."
Conflicting Accounts Over Deadly September Raid
The cabinet meeting also addressed a controversial incident from September, which is under congressional investigation for potential illegality. The discussion centred on a double strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat on 2 September, which resulted in the extrajudicial killing of two survivors.
During the meeting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump sought to place responsibility for the fatal second strike on Navy Admiral Frank M "Mitch" Bradley. Hegseth offered a conflicting account of his own involvement, stating he "watched that first strike" but did not "stick around for the hour or two hours" afterwards when the survivors were fired upon again.
This statement directly contradicted his comments to Fox News the day after the attack, where he implied he watched the entire operation in real-time. Admiral Bradley is scheduled to brief the armed services committees of both the House and Senate on Thursday.
Rising Tensions and a Wider Conflict
Trump's latest rhetoric significantly inflames a volatile situation. What began with targeted strikes on vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking—actions taken without public proof—now stands on the brink of becoming a broader regional conflict.
"We're going to start doing those strikes on land, too," Trump told reporters, downplaying the complexity. "You know, the land is much easier, much easier. And we know the routes they take. We know everything about them. We know where they live. We know where the bad ones live, and we're going to start that very soon too."
The President concluded with a characteristically bold prediction about the drug trade: "When we start that, we're going to drive those numbers down so low." This aggressive posture marks a dangerous new phase in international relations, drawing parallels with previous threats made against Mexico and raising profound questions about sovereignty and the use of military force.
