The U.S. and Venezuela: Trump Descends on Latin America

The Trump 2.0 administration is has been escalating pressure on Venezuela, as part of a broader increase of tension in Latin America.

In recent weeks, the US has begun sending military forces to the Caribbean and Puerto Rico. And in three separate instances, the U.S. military has bombed small boats leaving Venezuela, which they have claimed—without evidence—contained drug traffickers and members of the gang Tren de Aragua.

For years, the U.S. government has been at odds with the Venezuelan government and has supported efforts to depose President Nicolás Maduro. One of the last acts of the Biden administration was to raise its bounty for Maduro to $25 million. Now, the Trump administration is increasing the pressure once again, escalating accusations that Maduro and his top allies are leaders of criminal organizations. Earlier this year, the Trump administration raised the bounty for Maduro to $50 million.

Tactics from the war on terror are being deployed in Latin America. The Trump administration has declared Tren de Aragua to be a terrorist organization. In addition to opening the door to military strikes, like the attacks on boats near Venezuela, the designation allowed the administration to use the Alien Enemies Act to expel hundreds of Venezuelan migrants to a notorious Salvadoran prison.

This week, Drop Site’s Murtaza Hussain is joined by Adam Isacson, the Director for Defense Oversight at the Washington Office on Latin America, to discuss developments in Venezuela, Colombia, and the region at large.

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