WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump's decision to designate an alleged drug cartel that the U.S. links to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as a foreign terrorist organization provides the Pentagon with a range of new options, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.

A massive U.S. military buildup around Venezuela is drawing mixed reactions in nearby Puerto Rico, as Trump leaves a possible ground incursion on the table.

President Trump saying he’s not ruling out sending troops into Venezuela appeared at odds with his claim that his administration may be open to talks with Nicolás Maduro.

American adversaries are unlikely to help President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela fend off a concerted attack. But they have made toppling him harder.

Venezuela’s air defenses are old and ill-maintained, but state militias are well-armed, and a guerrilla campaign could erupt.

President Donald Trump isn't ruling out military action against Venezuela despite bringing up potential diplomatic talks with its leader, Nicolás Maduro

President Trump says he won’t “rule out” sending troops to Venezuela, and over the weekend, the world’s largest aircraft carrier arrived in the Caribbean Sea. We discuss why the United States has amassed such a large military presence in the region,

Super Mustache,” which has aired on Venezuelan state TV since 2021, is just one piece of the country’s propaganda push as US warships amass near the Venezuelan coast and US President Donald Trump muses about sending troops to depose Maduro.