Europe Asia News

The U.S. official said that with American military forces building up in the region — including the most advanced U.S. aircraft carrier and 15,000 personnel — Trump hopes to exert enough pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to force him to resign without direct military intervention.

Last week, Trump received military briefings on three consecutive days. The options ranged from strikes on military or government facilities to special operations raids. The option of taking no action remains available.

The president expressed some reservations about direct military intervention inside Venezuela. He questioned the risks to U.S. troops and the likelihood of success.

Trump is also listening to fresh criticism from some allies who argue he is focusing too heavily on foreign matters at the expense of domestic issues.

It remains unclear what signals the administration has received indicating that Maduro may be ready for a new round of diplomacy. Last month, while quiet efforts were underway to reach an agreement with Caracas, Trump instructed his team to cut diplomatic communication with Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials.

At the time, Trump and senior officials were frustrated that Maduro refused to resign voluntarily.