President Donald Trump did not rule out using ground troops to “take care of” Venezuela, he told reporters Monday in the Oval Office.
Trump said he won’t “rule out anything” among his options for dealing with Venezuela when asked by a reporter about the possibility of sending in ground troops. The U.S. has an unprecedented array of military forces and assets now available in the southern Caribbean, fueling speculation that the administration will soon go kinetic to oust socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro from power.
Trump was asked directly during an Oval Office presser on Monday whether he is “ruling out U.S. troops on the ground” in Venezuela.
“No, I haven’t ruled out that, I don’t rule out anything. We just have to take care of Venezuela,” Trump said in his response. “They dumped hundreds of thousands of people into our country from prisons.”
Trump also said he “probably would talk to” Maduro “directly” before ordering any strikes.
Trump has accused Maduro of facilitating the illegal drug trade and enabling cartels in his nation. The administration designated the Venezuelan-based Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns) a foreign terrorist organization Monday, a criminal syndicate with ties to the dictator.
“Neither Maduro nor his cronies represent Venezuela’s legitimate government,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said announcing the designation. “Cartel de los Soles by and with other designated FTOs including Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel are responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe.”
CNN reported Monday that the president has yet to make a decision on whether to strike Venezuela directly. Trump reportedly voiced some reservations about direct military action when taking briefings on the options available to him.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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