FILE PHOTO: The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 3, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Senior Trump administration officials have held three meetings at the White House this week to discuss options for possible military operations in Venezuela, officials said on Friday, amid a growing U.S. military presence in the Caribbean.
President Donald Trump has deployed F-35 aircraft, warships and a nuclear submarine to the region as part of a military buildup following two months of deadly strikes against boats off Venezuela. Earlier this week, the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier strike group moved into the Latin America region - bringing with it more than 75 military aircraft and over 5,000 troops.
Trump suggested on Friday that a decision could come soonon whether or not to take military action against Venezuela, which the U.S. president has accused of close ties to the illegal drug trade.
"I can't tell you what it would be but I sort of made up my mind" on Venezuela, he told reporters on Air Force One.
Four U.S. officials and a source familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the homeland security council meetings took place this week, with three of the officials confirming that one of those was on Friday.
The council advises the president on issues related to homeland security and would normally be chaired by Stephen Miller, Trump's homeland security adviser.
One of the officials said a small group met on Wednesday, followed on Thursday by a much larger meeting that included Vice President JD Vance, Miller, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, among others.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The source familiar withthe matter said Trump attended the Thursday meeting in the Situation Room and was briefed on a number of options. Reuters could not determine what options were presented but Trump has previously dangled the possibility of land attacks on Venezuela.
He has also repeatedly said he is not pursuing regime change in Venezuela.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who has held office since 2013, has said that Trump is seeking to oust him from power.
Washington in August doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest to $50 million, accusing him of links to drug trafficking and criminal groups.
TENSIONS WITH VENEZUELA
So far, U.S. military forces in the region have conducted operations against suspected drug vessels. The Pentagon has carried out at least 20 strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing 80 people.
Democratic lawmakers and legal experts have questioned the legality of the strikes and some European allies have criticized the operations.
A Reuters visual investigation found the U.S. military is upgrading a long-abandoned former Cold War naval base in the Caribbean, suggesting preparations for sustained operations that could support possible actions inside Venezuela.
Venezuela is deploying weapons, including decades-old Russian-made equipment, and is planning to mount a guerrilla-style resistance or sow chaos in the event of a U.S. air or ground attack.
The idea of military action inside the Latin American country is unpopular among U.S. voters.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Friday found that only 35% of respondents said they supported using U.S. military force in Venezuela to reduce the flow of illegal drugs into the United States without the permission of the Venezuelan government.
Tensions between the United States and Venezuela's neighbor, Colombia, have also spiked in recent weeks, with Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro trading barbs.
Trump has called Petro an "illegal drug leader" and imposed sanctions on him. The leftist Colombian president has accused the U.S. of committing murder with its strikes.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart, Gram Slattery, Andrea Shalal and Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Writing by Idrees Ali; Editing by Don Durfee and Edmund Klamann)
