US readies airstrikes inside Venezuela: Inside Trump’s new playbook to dismantle Maduro’s ‘cartel of the suns’

(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on August 07, 2025 shows US President Donald Trump (L) in Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 5, 2024, and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (R) in Caracas on July 31, 2024.

The Trump administration is preparing to launch targeted attacks inside Venezuela aimed at dismantling military installations linked to the “Cartel de los Soles,” a powerful drug-trafficking network Washington claims is led by President Nicolas Maduro and top figures in his regime, the Miami Herald reported.

Officials told the paper that these strikes are intended to “destroy the cartel’s command structure,” signaling a new phase in the US campaign against Maduro.

“Maduro is about to find himself trapped and might soon discover that he cannot flee the country even if he decided to,” a source familiar with the planning told the Herald.

According to reports, US B-1 Lancer bombers have already conducted flight missions close to Venezuelan airspace -- a show of force described by officials as an “attack demonstration.”

Recent media reports revealed that Trump has authorised a wider “war on cartels” that extends from the Caribbean to the Pacific. US strikes have already killed at least 62 people aboard boats allegedly ferrying drugs. However, several Latin American governments claim the victims were unarmed fishermen, raising concerns of collateral damage.

Maduro’s shrinking circle

The United States has placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro’s capture and another $25 million on senior officials including Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, alleged to be one of the key figures in cartel operations.

The Soles network, named after the sun insignia worn by Venezuelan generals, is believed to smuggle tons of cocaine to North America through Venezuela’s ports and air bases. Washington has accused Caracas of using its state-run oil company and military infrastructure to fund trafficking operations in collaboration with Mexican and Colombian criminal networks.

A growing military buildup

The Pentagon’s expanded naval deployment in the Caribbean has intensified since 2024, when Trump began linking anti-cartel operations directly to national security. According to reports, US forces have also deployed land-based Typhon launchers capable of striking targets up to 1,000 miles away, putting Caracas well within range.

President Trump earlier confirmed that CIA operations are already underway inside Venezuela. He has not ruled out ground intervention. “We are targeting those who poison our communities,” he said.

Regional fallout

Latin American governments have condemned the rising civilian toll. Mexico lodged a protest after 14 of its citizens were killed in US Pacific strikes, saying Washington was “crossing red lines under the guise of a drug war.”

Analysts warn that direct strikes on Venezuelan military facilities could escalate into a broader regional crisis. “If the US hits Maduro’s armed forces, it risks turning a drug war into a shooting war.”

For now, the Trump administration appears determined to bring Maduro to heel through military pressure and covert action -- a strategy that may succeed in toppling a cartel, but could also plunge Venezuela and its neighbors into deeper instability.