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US Begins Military Exercises Off Venezuelas Coast as Trump Considers Possible Att
Trump Leaves Military Action Against Venezuela on The Table But Floats Possible Attack as USS Gerald R. Ford Arrives In Caribbean
Trump to Designate Venezuelas Cartel de los Soles a Terrorist Organization as US Begins Major Military Exercises Off Coast of Venezuela
AP 18 NOV 2025
Donald Trump on Monday did not rule out military action against Venezuela despite bringing up a potential diplomatic opening with leader Nicol?s Maduro, who has insisted that a U.S. military buildup and strikes on alleged drug boats near his South American country are designed to push him out of office.
Trump reiterated that he probably would talk to Maduro, but underscored that he is not taking off the table the possibility of military action on Venezuelan territory. Hours later, Maduro said he is open to dialogue with the Trump administration.
I dont rule out that. I dont rule out anything, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office a day after he first floated the possibility of having discussions with Maduro. Trump, however, sidestepped questions about whether Maduro could say anything to him that would lead to the U.S. backing off its military show of force.
He's done tremendous damage to our country, said Trump, tying Maduro to drugs and migrants coming into the U.S. from Venezuela.
He has not been good to the United States, so we'll see what happens.
Trumps Targets Venezuela
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BgRPjEoZTg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnsuHrQ_980
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PREVIOUS REPORT of Trumps'Coup' of Venezuela in 2020;
Captured US Mercenary Claims He Planned to Abduct Maduro Under the Command of Donald Trump.
Luke Denman was one of two US citizens seized this week after what appears to have been a bungled bid to overthrow Maduro
The Guardian Australia, 7 MAY 2020
Venezuelan President Maduro says two US citizens have been arrested following what he said was an attempt to overthrow him.
An American mercenary captured after a bungled attempt to topple Maduro has claimed he was on a mission to seize control of Venezuelas main airport in order to abduct its leader and he alleged that was acting under the command of Donald Trump.
Luke Denman was one of two US citizens seized by Venezuelan security forces this week after what appears to have been a catastrophically conceived bid to overthrow Maduro by sneaking into the South American country in a fleet of battered fishing boats.
In a heavily edited video confession, broadcast on Wednesday by the state broadcaster VTV, Denman said he had flown to Colombia in mid-January, where he was tasked with training Venezuelan combatants near Riohacha, a city 55 miles west from the Venezuelan border.
From there, Denman who said he had never previously set foot in Colombia nor Venezuela claimed the group planned to journey to Caracas to secure? the city and the nearby Simn Bolvar international airport, before bringing down Maduro.
Venezuelan soldiers in balaclavas removed suspects from a helicopter after what Venezuelan authorities described was a mercenary incursion.
Denman said his mission had been to secure the airport, set up a perimeter, communicate with its tower and then bring in planes” including one to put Maduro on and take him back to the United States
There was no sign that any lawyers were present during Denmans alleged confession, or that he was not speaking under duress.
Denman said he had been working for Silvercorp, a Florida based private security firm run by Jordan Goudreau, a former US special forces soldier who on Sunday claimed his 60-man team had launched daring amphibious raid designed to overthrow Maduro
Denman, from Austin, Texas, was detained alongside another American, named as 41-year-old Airan Berry, and 11 others . Eight other alleged mercenary terrorists? were killed.
A photo released by the Venezuelan Miraflores preisdential press office shows ID cards of former US special forces citizen Airan Berry and Luke Denman.
Speaking, Maduro painted the failed invasion as a 21st century version of the failed US invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs and claimed the intruders had been working for Trump.
Donald Trump is behind all of this, Venezuelas authoritarian leader said, brandishing a contract allegedly showing that the mission had been commissioned by his rival, the opposition leader, Juan Guaid
Here is the contract. Here are the signatures a contract for the invasion of Venezuela. A serious offense, Maduro said, holding up a Washington Post article which also branded the operation “a Bay of Pigs style fiasco
Guaid has denied any links to the incursion.
Maduro claimed Trump had subcontracted the “disastrous invasion so as to be able to “wash his hands” of the episode if it went wrong.
The mission does indeed seem to have backfired quite spectacularly.
Donald Trump denies link to Venezuela armed raid by US citizens
They came to Venezuela thinking the people would greet them like some kind of Rambos, with applause, Maduro said on Wednesday. But the Venezuelan people captured them, tied them up, and the police had to intervene so there were no acts of violence against them.”
Maduro claimed Venezuelas justice system would decide whether or not Guaid would be arrested.
In Washington, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said the US woulduse every tool to get the two captured Americans back, and raised eyebrows by saying there was no direct? US government involvement in the strange raid.
If we had been involved, it would have gone differently,? Pompeo told reporters shortly before Denman was shown on Venezuelan state television. As for who bankrolled it, were not prepared to share any more information about what we know took place.
Asked about what action the administration would take, Pompeo said We will start the process of trying to figure a way if, in fact, these are Americans that are there that we can figure a path forward. We want to get every American back. If the Maduro regime decides to hold them, we'll use every tool that we have available to try and get them back.
Maduro has ruled Venezuela since 2013, in which time more than 4.5 million people have fled the country to escape food shortages, violence and political turmoil. He has been accused of overseeing gross violations? of human rights during a crackdown on political opponents and in March was indicted in the US on charges of drug trafficking and money-laundering.
US Citizen Captured in Venezuela said He was Ordered to Seize Control
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