Trump Weighing Strikes Inside Venezuela Against Cartels as Part of Campaign to ‘Weaken’ Maduro

President Donald Trump is weighing military strikes against cartels operating inside of Venezuela, according to a new report.

Multiple sources briefed on the plans told CNN that Trump is weighing a wide campaign that would include strikes inside of Venezuela. The effort, according to the report, is aimed at “weakening” Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro. A Tuesday strike against a boat allegedly carrying drugs leaving Venezuela was the first step in this campaign.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to the boat as a “drug vessel” tied to the cartel Tren de Aragua. The strike killed 11 people and was carried out in international waters.

The pressure campaign against Maduro comes amidst rising tensions between the United States and Venezuela. President Donald Trump warned this week that Venezuela jets will be “shot down” if they fly over U.S. naval ships. The warning came after reports Venezuela flying military aircraft near U.S. vessels for multiple days.

CNN reported that Trump officials believe the boat strike and future strikes will put pressure on “people around Maduro who have benefitted from the cartels’ illicit revenue streams, potentially squeezing them so much that they consider ways to oust the Venezuelan leader.”

Maduro himself has been designated as a cartel leader by the U.S. State Department.

“The Department of State and the Department of Justice are announcing a reward offer increase of up to $50 million under the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Nicolás Maduro for violating U.S. narcotics laws,” a press release from Rubio reads.

On Friday, Trump avoided a question about “regime change” in Venezuela, but he made reference to allegations of fraud in the country’s last election.

“We are talking about the fact that they had an election, which was a very strange election, to put it mildly,” he said.

Watch above via CNN.