The pressure for Nicolás Maduro to be removed from power in Venezuela has been significantly increased by the administration of US President Donald Trump, writes the New York Times.
According to the report, senior officials are discussing a broad campaign that envisions increasing military pressure on the Maduro regime.
The initiative is led primarily by Senator Marco Rubio, supported by the Secretary of State and the national security adviser. Rubio describes Maduro as an illegitimate leader, responsible for drug trafficking to the United States, which he considers an "imminent threat."
In recent weeks, the US military has carried out attacks on civilian ships suspected of smuggling drugs for Venezuelan groups, while the Pentagon has deployed more than 6,500 troops to the region. NYT sources say Rubio is pushing for a more aggressive strategy, relying on CIA intelligence.
He is supported by intelligence director John Ratcliffe and Trump adviser Stephen Miller, who argue that because Maduro runs the Venezuelan drug cartels, intervention against him could be presented as a counternarcotics operation.
Rubio repeatedly highlights the 2020 Justice Department indictment of Maduro for drug trafficking, describing him as a "fugitive from U.S. justice" and the leader of a "terrorist and criminal organization" that has captured an entire country.
Meanwhile, two leading Venezuelan opposition figures have stated that they have already planned steps for the possible overthrow of Maduro and have held talks about this scenario with the Trump administration.
