The United States is intensifying pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as President Donald Trump weighs potential military action. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Trump’s top military adviser, visited U.S. troops in Puerto Rico and aboard a Navy warship on Monday.
His visit comes as the U.S. deploys one of its most advanced aircraft carriers and a large fleet to the Caribbean, where American forces have already destroyed 21 alleged drug-smuggling boats, killing more than 80 people.
Chairman of the @thejointstaff Gen. Dan Caine will visit Trinidad and Tobago on November 25, 2025, to meet with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. The visit will focus on the two nations’ strong bi-lateral relationship, strengthening regional stability, and regional unity on… pic.twitter.com/Oplz6gwSq9
— U.S. Embassy Port of Spain (@USinTT) November 24, 2025
The Trump administration says the buildup supports efforts to combat narcotics trafficking, but the moves are widely seen as an effort to push Maduro toward stepping down.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, will meet service members of the US Southern Command on Monday in Puerto Rico, where the American military presence has swelled as the Trump administration weighs military action against Venezuela https://t.co/fAWrdd7liI
— Bloomberg (@business) November 24, 2025
Washington has also designated the “Cartel de los Soles,” a loose network of Venezuelan military officials, as a foreign terrorist organization.
Top US military officer General Dan Caine is visiting American troops in Caribbean amid heightened tensions with Venezuela as Washington designates Cartel de los Soles as a "terrorist organisation"https://t.co/SlyfgppDTg
— TRT World (@trtworld) November 24, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the designation unlocks new options for targeting Maduro, though he did not detail whether U.S. strikes inside Venezuela are being considered.
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