The White House didn’t rule out the possibility of U.S. soldiers on the ground in Venezuela after reports that three U.S. Aegis guided-missile destroyers have been deployed to waters off the country.
A reporter asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday whether the administration was “looking at possible native boots on the ground.”
“With respect to Venezuela, President Trump has been very clear and consistent. He’s prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice,” Leavitt told reporters.
The destroyers — the USS Gravely, the USS Jason Dunham and the USS Sampson — and thousands of personnel were set to arrive off the coast of Venezuela soon. In response to the increased American military presence, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said he would start “a special plan to ensure coverage by more than 4.5 million prepared, activated, and armed militia members across the national territory” following “extravagant, bizarre and outlandish threats” from the U.S.
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During Trump’s first term, the Department of Justice charged Maduro in the Southern District of New York with offenses including drug trafficking and corruption. A reward offered by the U.S. for information leading to Maduro’s arrest has recently doubled to $50 million.
At the press conference, Leavitt took aim at Maduro and the legitimacy of his presidency.
“The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela,” she said. “It is a narco terror cartel. Maduro, it is the view of this administration, is not a legitimate president. He is a fugitive head of this cartel who has been indicted in the United States for trafficking drugs into the country.”
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