As the United States threatens to attack Venezuela, some Caribbean allies are offering support. The United States has been amassing military forces and assets in the region since August. It has killed more than 80 people in strikes on boats it alleges are carrying drugs to the United States.

President Donald Trump said in a brief Nov. 29 social media post that airspace around the South American country should be considered closed.

President Trump’s statements on social media less than 24 hours apart showed the dissonance in his campaign against drug trafficking.

Amid Trump’s warning to close Venezuela’s airspace, Caracas faces overwhelming odds against the US superpower. Ranked 50th globally, Venezuela relies on guerrilla tactics, militias, and missile systems to resist,

WASHINGTON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - The United States is poised to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations in the coming days, four U.S. officials told Reuters, as the Trump administration escalates pressure on President Nicolas Maduro's government.

Here is a timeline of the deteriorating relations between Venezuela and the US since Trump started his second term in January 2025 – and how Washington’s approach towards the South American nation since the late 1990s has led to this moment.

On Monday, the United States’ designation of the Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, allegedly headed by Maduro, took effect. It’s another tactic by the White House as it engages in armed conflict against drug cartels. The designation expands U.S. authority for potential strikes inside Venezuela.