Washington is set to launch some kind of intervention against Venezuela imminently, as the Trump administration escalates its drive against President Nicolás Maduro alongside an unprecedented Caribbean military deployment, Reuters reported on November 22.

Four US officials informed the news agency that covert activities would likely constitute the opening phase of fresh measures, although neither the precise schedule nor full extent have been established, and it remains unclear whether President Donald Trump has issued definitive approval.

The officials, speaking under anonymity, indicated Washington was evaluating multiple tactics, including attempts at forcing Maduro from power, the report said.

A senior administration official told Reuters that Trump stood "prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice".

The prospective escalation follows months of steadily mounting tensions, with the White House casting Maduro as an accomplice in supplying illicit narcotics responsible for American fatalities — claims the Venezuelan leader dismisses.

Maduro, who has ruled Venezuela since 2013 and claimed re-election in last year’s disputed vote, has consistently maintained that the US seeks his removal and vowed that Venezuelans and the armed forces will resist such attempts.

Washington intends to label the Cartel de Los Soles a foreign terrorist organisation on November 24 for its alleged role in importing illegal drugs, officials said. The Trump administration asserts Maduro leads the cartel, whose very existence remains disputed, and has offered a $50mn bounty for information leading to the president's capture.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated last week that the terrorist label "brings a whole bunch of new options to the United States.” Trump has floated the idea that such designation would enable the US to strike Maduro's assets and facilities inside Venezuela, whilst also suggesting willingness for diplomatic talks, likely aimed at offering the leftist autocrat a last chance to stage a peaceful exit.

The USS Gerald R Ford, the world's largest warship, arrived in Caribbean waters on November 16 near Venezuelan territory. The carrier's more than 4,000 sailors joined an existing naval presence that began forming in late August, bringing total personnel to approximately 15,000 — the region's largest American military concentration since the 1989 Panama operation.

The strike group encompasses at least seven other warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 aircraft, the report said. US forces have conducted at least 21 strikes on alleged drug-carrying vessels in Caribbean and Pacific waters since September, killing at least 83 people. Rights groups have denounced the strikes as illegal extrajudicial killings of civilians, and some US allies have voiced worries about potential international law breaches.

Meanwhile, several international airlines suspended flights to and from Venezuela on November 22 following the Federal Aviation Administration's warning of a "potentially hazardous situation" over the country, citing deteriorating security conditions and intensified military operations in the region.

Brazil's Gol, Colombia's Avianca and Portugal's TAP cancelled departures from Caracas, according to Flightradar24. Spain's flag carrier Iberia announced it would halt Caracas flights from November 24 until further notice, whilst a Latam Airlines service to Bogotá was also scrapped.

Colombia's civil aviation authority said in a statement there were "potential risks" of flying near Maiquetia "due to the deterioration of security conditions and increased military activity in the region."

The FAA notice referenced the "worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela" and warned that threats could pose risks for aircraft at all altitudes.

Last week, Defence Secretary Hegseth characterised the naval mission, dubbed "Southern Spear", as vital for homeland protection and removing "narco-terrorists" from the hemisphere. Yet the deployment's scale appears excessive for anti-trafficking operations alone and seems misaligned with the principal drug routes into the US.

US official data shows Venezuela accounts for just 8% of cocaine output, whilst having no involvement in fentanyl trafficking, the synthetic opioid responsible for most American overdose deaths.

Despite Washington's counter-narcotics rhetoric and repeated denials of military action plans, Trump has proclaimed Maduro's days "numbered". This, alongside his acknowledgement of authorising covert CIA operations inside Venezuela, indicates the naval build-up primarily serves as pressure tactics aimed at forcing Maduro out.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American and long-time foe of communist Latin American regimes, has steered Trump's Venezuela policy reversal, which initially involved diplomatic efforts towards engagement with Maduro. By presenting Venezuela as a national security threat tied to narcotics, Rubio has won support from key administration players and sidelined former envoy Richard Grenell, who had pursued dialogue with Caracas.

For now, most analysts believe a full-scale invasion is unlikely. An escalation would rather see targeted strikes on alleged drug-trafficking infrastructure inside Venezuela, sustained military demonstrations and concerted attempts to fracture unity between the regime and its military factions.

Venezuela's armed forces retain advanced weaponry such as Russian S-300VM air defence systems, but years of neglect have hollowed out their capabilities. Experts doubt they could withstand a US intervention, and neither Russia nor China, Caracas’ main backers on the international stage, appear willing or able to provide military support.

Maduro's government has considered fallback plans should the US invasion occur, including guerrilla-style resistance termed "prolonged resistance" to be carried out by what he calls a “civic-military unity.” Such an approach would utilise small military units across more than 280 locations for sabotage and guerrilla operations, Reuters said, citing planning documents.