President Trump on Thursday said that the US will “very soon” start stopping suspected Venezuelan drug trafficking networks “by land” in a shift from his thus-far seaborne military campaign.
“In recent weeks, you’ve been working to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers, of which there are many,” Trump said in a call with US service members on Thanksgiving.
“Of course, there aren’t too many coming in by sea anymore. Have you probably noticed that?”
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after speaking to troops via video from his Mar-a-Lago estate on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. APThe president noted that the traffickers who send their “poisons” into the US and “kill hundreds of thousands of people a year,” have already hastened sea operations by 85% since an onslaught of strikes on suspected drug-carrying boats.
“From sending their poisons into the United States, where they kill hundreds of thousands of people a year — but we’re going to take care of that situation,” Trump said.
“We’re already doing a lot… It’s about 85% stopped by sea.”
Nicolas Maduro addresses members of the armed forces, Bolivarian Militia, police, and civilians at Fort Tiuna military base in Caracas, Venezuela, November 25, 2025. REUTERS“You probably noticed that now people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon,” he continued.
In late October, Trump announced he planned to inform Congress of plans to attack cartel targets in Venezuela
“We’re going to go [to Congress]. I don’t see any loss in going — no reason not to,” Trump told reporters at a White House event touting a federal crackdown that’s arrested roughly 3,200 alleged drug cartel members over the past month.
The administration has since carried out at least 21 fatal strikes on the boats. Truth Social/Donald Trump/DOD / SWNS“You know they will always complain, ‘Oh, we should have gone.’ So we’re going to definitely,” Trump said.
The president turned to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, seated to his right, and told him, “I’d like to just tell you, ‘Let’s go.’ We’ll go. We’re going to tell them what we’re going to do, and I think they’re going to probably like it, except for the radical left lunatics.”
Trump has been threatening to conduct land-based strikes since the administration began targeting vessels smuggling drugs off the Caribbean coast of Venezuela in September.
The administration has since carried out at least 21 fatal strikes on the boats.
