Increased U.S. military pressure on Venezuela could force Caracas to make concessions on issues such as drug trafficking and immigration and could strengthen domestic opposition forces. However, a U.S. invasion or the collapse of the Venezuelan regime is unlikely in the short to medium term. On Sept. 2, the United States conducted a strike against a speedboat allegedly being used by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TDA) to traffic drugs in the southern Caribbean Sea, killing 11 people. The attack was carried out after Washington deployed warships to the region in mid-August, with the vessels approaching Venezuelan territorial waters in recent weeks. Media reports point to at least eight U.S. warships, along with one nuclear-powered fast attack submarine and 4,500 personnel, including 2,200 Marines. The deployment officially aims to fight Latin American drug cartels, many of which the United States has designated as international terrorist organizations. As a response,...
