U.S. ‘at least posturing’ for land attacks on Venezuela as Navy moves assets into the region

Military Deployment & Operations - US military deployed the USS Gerald Ford carrier strike group to the southern command area, including Venezuela [1] - US military conducted strikes targeting alleged drug cartel boats in the Caribbean, escalating in frequency [2][4] - A nighttime strike targeted a vessel operated by the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua (TDA), resulting in six deaths [3][4] Regional & Political Reactions - Colombian president has opposed the US strikes, claiming the US has murdered Colombian citizens [5] - Republican Senator Ran Paul stated the strikes are illegal and require congressional authorization [10] - President Trump mentioned providing more information to Congress regarding the strikes [8] Evidence & Justification - US government has provided heavily edited videos and information regarding the strikes [7] - Defense officials insist they have intelligence proving drugs are on the targeted boats [8] - Lack of due process for individuals targeted in the strikes is causing concern [9] Potential Escalation - The US is posturing for potential attacks on land in Venezuela [13] - There is discussion about the possibility of attacks on land [14] - Potential inflection point could be the killing of an American citizen on one of the boats [11]