- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly declared that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro must be removed from power, marking an explicit U.S. policy of regime change in Venezuela.
- The U.S. is conducting a multi-front pressure campaign, including a naval blockade, lethal strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels, a $50 million bounty on Maduro and the terrorist designation of his alleged inner circle, the "Cartel of the Suns."
- Intelligence analysis describes the "Cartel of the Suns" not as a separate group but as a syndicate fused with the Venezuelan state, making an attack on it synonymous with an attack on Maduro's regime.
- The legal basis for U.S. military actions is under scrutiny, as officials have not provided public evidence that targeted vessels carried drugs and a White House aide suggested the strikes are primarily meant to pressure Maduro politically.
- The cumulative pressure has left Maduro in a state of acute anxiety and isolation, fearing betrayal or a direct U.S. strike, while deep fissures are reported within his inner circle.
In one of the most unambiguous statements of U.S. policy toward Caracas to date, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem declared Monday, Dec. 22, that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro needs to be "gone" from power. The public call for regime change underscores the Trump administration's escalating hybrid campaign of military, legal and economic pressure aimed at toppling the socialist government.
Noem's remarks, made on Fox News, directly linked the removal of Maduro to ongoing U.S. maritime operations. "We're not just interdicting these ships, but we're also sending a message around the world that the illegal activity that Maduro's participating in cannot stand, he needs to be gone," she stated. Her comments follow President Donald Trump's announcement earlier this month of a blockade targeting "sanctioned oil vessels" to and from Venezuela, a move that has already seen U.S. forces seize two ships and pursue a third.
The administration has systematically constructed a framework to justify intense pressure on Maduro personally. Washington has formally designated his alleged inner circle, the "Cartel of the Suns," as a narco-terrorist organization and posted a $50 million bounty for Maduro's capture. This strategy, as reported in late November, has left Maduro in a state of acute anxiety, described by sources as "sleepless" and fearing betrayal from within his own ranks or a direct U.S. military strike.
According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, "Cartel of the Suns" is not a separate criminal group but rather a syndicate within the Venezuelan state itself. It represents a fusion of military power, criminal enterprise and political protection at the highest level, with Maduro at its center.
Geopolitical standoff showing no sign of de-escalation
This fusion is so complete that, according to the provided intelligence, attacking the cartel is considered synonymous with attacking Maduro's regime, thereby justifying (in the view of some U.S. officials) direct military action against Venezuelan territory. The group is currently under severe external pressure and is reportedly fracturing from within due to its corrupt and self-serving nature.
The military component of the pressure campaign is vast and visible. The United States has amassed a significant naval flotilla in the Caribbean, including the world's largest aircraft carrier and has conducted repeated military aircraft flights along Venezuela’s coast. More aggressively, U.S. forces have executed a series of lethal strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the region. These operations, conducted under newly expanded authorities, have destroyed nearly 30 boats and left at least 104 people dead since their escalation in October.
However, the legal and factual basis for these strikes faces serious scrutiny. The U.S. government has not publicly provided conclusive evidence that the targeted vessels were carrying narcotics. International law experts have consistently argued that the unilateral strikes on the high seas are likely illegal. The administration’s stated goal is curbing drug trafficking, but other officials have hinted at a more politically driven objective. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told Vanity Fair that the strikes are aimed at pressuring Venezuela, saying Trump "wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle."
This revelation aligns with intelligence assessments reported earlier this year. A declassified U.S. memo previously concluded there was "no evidence" that Maduro directly controlled drug trafficking networks, complicating the public "narco-state" narrative used to justify the actions. Nonetheless, the campaign is multi-front: combining a naval blockade, devastating maritime strikes, a massive bounty, and now, a cabinet-level official's explicit call for removal.
The cumulative effect, as described by sources close to Maduro, is a leader besieged and isolated, navigating deep fissures within his inner circle while rumors of backchannel negotiations with Washington swirl. With Noem's stark declaration that Maduro must be "gone," the U.S. has moved from implicit to explicit regime change as its stated goal, raising the stakes in a tense geopolitical standoff that shows no sign of de-escalation.
Watch this video about Trump's campaign against Maduro.
This video is from the Cleansing Flow channel on Brighteon.com.
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