Trump says US will 'very soon' take action to stop alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers on land

Even as he increases military pressure, Trump has said that he could still hold talks with Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro, suggesting a possible diplomatic off-ramp.

President Donald Trump suggested Thursday night that the U.S. could “very soon” begin targeting alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers on land, expanding operations that have so far focused on the Caribbean Sea.

In Thanksgiving remarks to U.S. troops around the world, Trump thanked the Air Force’s 7th Bomb Wing for its work to “deter Venezuelan drug traffickers” and said “it’s about 85% stopped by sea … and we’ll be starting to stop them by land.”

“Also, the land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon,” the president added, speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate.

The comments come as Trump weighs whether to take military action against Venezuela as part of what his administration has called a campaign against drug trafficking. Senior U.S. military officials have also made recent visits to leaders in the Caribbean.

For months, the president has intensified U.S. military presence in the region, ramping up pressure on Venezuela with strikes on alleged drug boats since early September. The military has carried out nearly two dozen known strikes on vessels they said were carrying drugs, killing at least 82 people.