(MENAFN) Top Pentagon officials recently briefed US President Donald Trump on potential military operations targeting Venezuela, according to reports citing sources familiar with the discussions.

Among those presenting the options were Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine. The proposals included air strikes against unspecified targets within Venezuela, though no final decision on military action was made during the meeting.

Trump has repeatedly accused the Venezuelan government of supporting “narcoterrorists,” alleging that President Nicolas Maduro personally heads a drug-trafficking network. The US has also placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro. Last month, Trump deployed naval forces to the region, suggesting he could authorize strikes.

Since early September, US forces have conducted more than a dozen strikes on small boats in international waters, claiming the vessels were used for drug smuggling. Reports indicate that over 70 people may have died in these attacks.

Maduro has denied any involvement in drug trafficking, accusing Washington of “fabricating a new war” as a pretext for a potential regime-change operation. In response to the US military buildup, Venezuela has placed its armed forces on high alert and carried out a series of exercises. “We are ready to defend the Homeland on any terrain and under any circumstances,” Maduro stated on Wednesday, sharing images from the drills.

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