In a stark escalation of his administration's war on drugs, US President Donald Trump has issued a global warning, stating that any country he believes is manufacturing narcotics destined for illegal sale in the United States could be subject to military attack.
Venezuela in the Crosshairs for Imminent Action
The president's comments came during a White House question and answer session with reporters on Tuesday 2 December 2025, following a cabinet meeting. Trump specifically signalled that military strikes on land targets inside Venezuela would "start very soon". He has repeatedly accused the South American nation of narco-terrorism.
When pressed on whether Venezuela was the sole target, Trump 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," he stated. He went further, claiming he had "heard" that Colombia was "making cocaine, they have cocaine plants".
Conflicting Accounts Over Deadly September Attack
The cabinet meeting also addressed a controversial incident from 2 September 2025, where a US strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat is under congressional investigation. The armed services committees are examining the legality of a second strike that killed two survivors clinging to the vessel.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered a conflicting account of his involvement. He told the cabinet he "watched that first strike" but did not "stick around for the hour or two hours" afterwards when the second, fatal strike occurred. This contradicts his comments to Fox News the day after the attack, where he implied he watched the entire operation in real time.
The responsibility for ordering the second strike has been placed with Navy Admiral Frank M 'Mitch' Bradley, who is scheduled to brief the congressional committees on Thursday 4 December 2025.
A Regional Conflict on the Verge of Widening
Trump's latest rhetoric significantly inflames a conflict that began with targeted attacks on vessels his administration linked to drug trafficking, though public proof has not been provided. The threat of land-based strikes marks a dangerous new phase, bringing the US closer to a wider regional conflict in Latin America.
"We’re going to start doing those strikes on land, too," Trump asserted. "You know, the land is much easier, much easier. And we know the routes they take. We know everything about them... and we’re going to start that very soon too. When we start that, we’re going to drive those numbers down so low."
The president was flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Hegseth during the session, underscoring the serious diplomatic and military implications of the declared policy.
