After days of escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela, President Donald Trump issued a new warning Tuesday aimed directly at Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, signaling that Washington is prepared to further intensify pressure on Caracas.
Speaking during a press availability at Mar-A-Lago, Mr. Trump was questioned about the Maduro government’s response to recent U.S. actions in the Caribbean. His answer carried an unmistakable tone of threat.
“He can do whatever he wants, if he wants to do something,” Mr. Trump said. “If he plays tough, it’ll be the last time he’ll ever be able to play tough.”
Mr. Trump was flanked by senior national security officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, underscoring the seriousness of the moment. While the president avoided detailing specific military plans, his remarks came amid a growing U.S. naval presence in the region.
Political analysts say the president’s limited public comments may be intentional.
“The fact that the president hasn’t spoken much about it raises questions about what the intended policy outcome is in Venezuela,” said Richard Tapia, a political science professor at Miami Dade College.
Tapia believes the lack of detail signals further action ahead.
“I believe there’ll be continued escalation,” he said. “They’ve seized a third vessel and don’t want to talk about it. Within the region, they’re bringing in roughly a seventh of the entire Navy fleet as part of the blockade. That’s a significant amount of hardware to put into one area.”
U.S. authorities have already targeted at least three oil tankers in the Caribbean this month. The first interception occurred on December 10, followed by a second last Saturday. On Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard attempted to stop a third tanker headed toward Venezuela. That vessel refused to comply and sped away. As of late Tuesday afternoon, U.S. forces were still actively pursuing it.
Last week, Mr. Trump announced what he described as a “total and complete blockade” of oil tankers sanctioned by Washington that attempt to enter or leave Venezuelan ports. The move marks one of the most aggressive enforcement actions against the Maduro regime in recent years.
Mr. Trump also used the moment to issue a warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who has publicly criticized U.S. operations in the Caribbean.
“He has to watch,” Mr. Trump said. “He’s got drug factories — they make cocaine in Colombia — and he’s no friend to the United States.”
In a broader show of force, Mr. Trump announced plans to expand U.S. naval power, calling for the construction of larger and stronger battleships as part of what he described as a new “Golden Fleet.”
The developments add to mounting uncertainty across the region, particularly in South Florida, home to one of the largest Venezuelan communities in the United States, where residents are closely watching signs that tensions could escalate even further.
