(MENAFN) The US administration is reportedly reviewing three distinct courses of action aimed at removing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, one of which would involve an operation by elite US special forces.

The warning emerged amid a recent US military buildup in the Caribbean, coming after assertions by Washington that Maduro has links to “narcoterrorist” networks accused of smuggling drugs into the United States.

Officials say one option under consideration would rely on airstrikes against military sites thought to support Maduro’s hold on power — strikes intended to undermine the armed backing that sustains his government.

A second contingency being discussed would deploy US special operations units, including forces like Delta Force and SEAL Team 6 — referred to as ‘Navy SEALs’ — either to capture or kill the Venezuelan leader. Reportedly, the White House would attempt to treat Maduro as the head of a narcotics-focused criminal network in order to sidestep existing prohibitions on targeting foreign leaders. This rationale would mirror recent justifications given for US strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels.

The third plan under review would send counterterrorism elements into Venezuela with the goal of seizing vital sites such as airports, oil installations and other key infrastructure.

Earlier moves by the US have included authorizing covert operations against alleged state-backed trafficking and dispatching naval units to the western Caribbean with orders to use overwhelming force against suspected drug-running ships. Maduro has denied the accusations and accused the US of “fabricating a new war.”

Washington has also placed a $50 million reward for information that would lead to Maduro’s arrest or conviction.

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