There's applying pressure, and then there's PRESSURE.
Donald Trump is an expert on both, and he is dumping tons of the latter on the tinpot tyrant of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro.
The raging authoritarian in charge of the failed narcostate has been a key portrait in the Trump bullseye ever since the administration was sworn in. Even though Maduro was a priority during his first administration, Trump Part Deux has a new focus and determination to not only shut down the drug and human trafficking pouring out of the country, but to do everything in his power to rid the country of Maduro's evil influence entirely.
Trump wants him gone. James B. Story, a former first-term Trump administration diplomat to Venezuela, explained to Politico what he sees happening.
...President Trump has been quite clear that he’s willing to use all of the tools at his disposal in order to stop narcotics trafficking flowing north, but as is evident as far as the first Trump administration, he’s always been very concerned about the lack of democracy in the country, the human rights abuses that’s led to migration, the illegality and criminality coming out of the country.
Certainly the assets are there that would enable the president to make a decision. There are not enough assets for an invasion but there are enough “exquisite assets” on site that could overwhelm the air defenses of the country, take out the Air Force, take out the Navy, potentially decapitate the government if that were a decision that he decided to take.
Is that a decision that’s been taken? I don’t know. But I can say that there are more assets in the region over the course of the last several weeks. They’ve increased the number of assets in their region. And that’s leading me to the conclusion that something may happen. Now that something could be everywhere from a counternarcotics operation within the 12 nautical mile limit of the country, something that’s on land focused on narcotics, or something broader.
THE CONCLUSION SOMETHING MAY HAPPEN
Maduro's come to that conclusion as well and is doing what he does naturally - bluster. Besides showing off his Russian hardware in an attempt to bluff the American president into slowing or halting the ever-increasing U.S. military presence in the region..
The question is, does any of it work, or do enough people know how to work them?
Maduro says Venezuela has 5,000 Russian anti-aircraft missiles to counter US
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Wednesday his country has 5,000 Russian man-portable surface-to-air missiles to counter US forces deployed in the Caribbean.
Washington has deployed stealth warplanes and Navy ships in the Caribbean as part of what it calls counter-narcotics efforts, and destroyed at least eight vessels it said were smuggling drugs from Venezuela toward the United States.
Venezuela has denounced the deployment as a dress rehearsal for an operation to oust Maduro, whom Washington accuses of running a drug cartel.
In a televised ceremony with senior military leaders, Maduro said Venezuela has Russian-made short-range missiles known as Igla-S -- "no fewer than 5,000 in key air defense positions to ensure peace."
The Igla-S, designed to take down low flying planes, has been used in military exercises ordered by Maduro in response to the US military activity, which has enraged leaders in much of Latin America.
For all the Maduro bad boy smack talk, somebody sure has his knickers in a wad and is moving defensive chess pieces, just in case.
EXCLUSIVE:
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 23, 2025
New exclusive images from Venezuela show the military deploying air defense units in Anzoátegui on the coast near Puerto de Cruz@DeptofWar pic.twitter.com/Y6Vwd70kmy
Remember back in September?
REPORTER: "Are you considering attacking the cartels inside of Venezuela?"@POTUS: "Well, you're going to find out." pic.twitter.com/GyysLrDLEk
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 7, 2025
Maduro remembers. And every little blown-up boat brings it home that he's vulnerable, not only on the water. Maybe even in his presidential palace.
CIA should recruit a bunch of dissident Venezuelan exiles and finance them to covertly land in Venezuela, rally the support of locals to their cause, and topple the Maduro regime
— Enguerrand VII de Coucy (@ingelramdecoucy) October 15, 2025
Just have to find a good place to land them, a bay perhaps… but otherwise this is a can’t miss plan https://t.co/hiS4DLn9Fv
Either through the windows or someone coming down the halls, as a covert CIA operation might do. Or coming in through the roof - what you might call the Clear and Present Danger scenario, Maduro's 5000 missiles notwithstanding.
Strangely enough, all the assets that they had in place for the fictional airstrike in the movie have been in place or moving into place for weeks, and Maduro's neighborhood buffer is shrinking around him.
There were B-1s in the air today, cruising the skies above azure Caribbean waters today and causing panic - training mission, you see.
Two U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers flew a training mission over the Caribbean Sea on Thursday, marking the second time in a week that long-range U.S. bombers have flown over the region, according to two sources familiar with the operation.
The two American bombers took off from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas and headed to the Caribbean where they conducted extensive flight operations in international airspace, according to the sources.
The takeoffs from the bombers' home base were also tracked by aviation enthusiasts using commercially available software to track the aircraft that initially had their transponders activated.
Now, of course, X lit up like a Christmas tree - is this it? Is this the big one?
And rumors began to fly that the Lancers had toodled over the Venezuelan coast to send a gentle message.
Oh, not so, said the president when asked about it. What a story someone's telling.
They didn't go TO Venezuela.
NOW - Trumps says reports that U.S. sent B1 bombers to Venezuela are not true, "It's not accurate, its false." pic.twitter.com/YaVg2e82v4
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) October 23, 2025
I'll bet Mauro thought he could hear them.
And nothing's saying he won't pretty soon. Even Trump isn't saying that.
Speaking earlier at the White House about recent strikes by the U.S. Armed Forces against drug boats operated by the Cartels in Venezuela, President Donald J. Trump said “the land is going to be next” suggesting military strikes soon against land targets in Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/rH1iQ0VarF
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 23, 2025
Tick tock, huh?
Trump's not saying he's going after Maduro. He's going after the cartels wherever they are. If Maduro feels that's putting pressure on his regime, squeezing it between the cartels, and the U.S., the Venezuelans, and the neighbors who want him gone, well, he's welcome to step down.
I'm sure one of his buddies - Russia, China, Cuba - someone would take him.
Someone.
Maduro has to be going nuts.
Well...more nuts.
TICK TICK TICK
Every single day, here at Hot Air, Ed, David, John, and I will stand up against the radical left and deliver the conservative reporting our readers deserve.
But we can't do it without your support.
Help us continue to tell the truth about the Trump administration and its successes. Join HotAir's tremendous VIP community and use promo code POTUS47 to get 74% off your membership.
And thank you so much for being here with us at HotAir!
Join the conversation as a VIP Member