What 3 former SOUTHCOM commanders say troops should know about Venezuela
Story by Jeff Schogol • 20h
The U.S. military could be poised to launch the largest combat operations in Latin America since the invasion of Panama nearly 36 years ago.
Since September, the U.S. has launched 21 strikes against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing a total of 82 people, a Pentagon official told Task & Purpose.
Now, President Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly considering expanding U.S. military operations in Latin America to possibly include strikes against targets inside Venezuela, claiming that the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, is in charge of a criminal organization that smuggles drugs into the United States.
Task & Purpose spoke with three former four-star generals who each led U.S. Southern Command, which has purview over Latin America and the Caribbean, along with a retired senior military commander with deep knowledge of the region for this story. Their concerns included whether U.S. troops would have a clear military objective for any operation against Venezuela and the chances of ground combat devolving into an insurgency. The former commanders also believed the U.S. military holds clear advantages in air power over Venezuelan defenses and conventional forces.
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