President Trump set to meet with Rubio, Hegseth on Venezuela strategy amid escalating tensions.
Washington - President Trump was scheduled to hold a high-level meeting on Monday afternoon with his top advisors and officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to discuss the next steps for U.S. operations in Venezuela. The White House confirmed that the meeting would touch on "many matters," but details were scarce.
The gathering comes as tensions between the Trump administration and the Maduro regime in Venezuela continue to escalate. In recent weeks, the United States has deployed a significant military presence to the region, citing concerns over drug smuggling and terrorism.
However, critics have accused the administration of escalating tensions and potentially violating international law. Last month, a group of former judges and advocates for war crimes said that reported U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean may amount to "war crimes" due to the intentional targeting of civilians.
The controversy surrounding the strikes has sparked debate within Congress, with some lawmakers calling for further investigation into the matter. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine has introduced a war powers resolution to prevent President Trump from conducting military action against Venezuela, although his efforts have so far fallen short in the Senate.
In a statement on Sunday, Mr. Trump defended his administration's actions, saying that he had "great confidence" in Defense Secretary Hegseth and that the strikes were carried out with precision. However, opponents of the administration's approach argue that it is driven by a desire to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro rather than addressing legitimate security concerns.
As the situation in Venezuela continues to deteriorate, the Trump administration faces mounting pressure to provide clear guidance on its intentions and actions. The meeting on Monday afternoon will be closely watched for signs of how the White House plans to navigate this complex and volatile situation.
Washington - President Trump was scheduled to hold a high-level meeting on Monday afternoon with his top advisors and officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to discuss the next steps for U.S. operations in Venezuela. The White House confirmed that the meeting would touch on "many matters," but details were scarce.
The gathering comes as tensions between the Trump administration and the Maduro regime in Venezuela continue to escalate. In recent weeks, the United States has deployed a significant military presence to the region, citing concerns over drug smuggling and terrorism.
However, critics have accused the administration of escalating tensions and potentially violating international law. Last month, a group of former judges and advocates for war crimes said that reported U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean may amount to "war crimes" due to the intentional targeting of civilians.
The controversy surrounding the strikes has sparked debate within Congress, with some lawmakers calling for further investigation into the matter. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine has introduced a war powers resolution to prevent President Trump from conducting military action against Venezuela, although his efforts have so far fallen short in the Senate.
In a statement on Sunday, Mr. Trump defended his administration's actions, saying that he had "great confidence" in Defense Secretary Hegseth and that the strikes were carried out with precision. However, opponents of the administration's approach argue that it is driven by a desire to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro rather than addressing legitimate security concerns.
As the situation in Venezuela continues to deteriorate, the Trump administration faces mounting pressure to provide clear guidance on its intentions and actions. The meeting on Monday afternoon will be closely watched for signs of how the White House plans to navigate this complex and volatile situation.
THEY'RE DEPLOYING MILITARY PRESENCE LEFT AND RIGHT IN VENEZUELA WITHOUT REALLY HAVING A CLUE WHAT'S GOING ON OR HOW IT'S ALL GOING TO PLAY OUT. IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO PROVOCATE MADURO AND GET HIM TO STEP DOWN, BUT IS THAT REALLY THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THE SITUATION? I MEAN, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THERE'S ANY WIDESPREAD SUPPORT FOR A Coup IN VENEZUELA...IT SMELLS LIKE A PRECIPICE TO ME 
... has anyone seen those reports on alleged US strikes on suspected drug boats? sounds fishy to me 
... and what's with Rubio and Hegseth being part of the meeting? don't they have a lot of work to do already? 
need some credible sources on this one before i start speculating 
. What if this meeting just ends up being a PR stunt? 
I hope it's more than that, you know?
that trump is planning to push for some major moves in venezuela, possibly even military intervention... but no one really knows what's going on behind closed doors 
meanwhile, Rubio and Hegseth are trying to play it cool and pretend they're just "discussing strategy"... give me a break 
the whole thing feels like a big power play to me. And honestly, I think the US is being super reckless here... what's next? Invading colombia or something? 
That's just a cover-up for what really goes down in that region.
Newsflash: he's not.
US policy in Venezuela is getting more complicated by the day... 
We need more transparency from the White House on their strategy for Venezuela. The situation is escalating and we can't afford to be blindsided again. 