Trump says he is not considering strikes within Venezuela

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By Nandita Bose, Steve Holland and Idrees Ali

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump on Friday denied he was considering strikes inside Venezuela, appearing to contradict his own comments from last week and amid intensifying expectations that Washington may soon expand drug-trafficking-related operations.

The United States has built up a large military presence in the Caribbean in recent months, with fighter jets, warships and thousands of troops. That presence will significantly expand in the coming weeks with the arrival of the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier strike group.

On Friday, when asked by reporters on Air Force One if media reports that he was considering strikes within Venezuela were true, Trump said: “No.”

It was not immediately clear if Trump was ruling out future strikes inside Venezuela or simply saying no final decision had been made yet.

AT LEAST 14 BOATS ALREADY TARGETED

In recent weeks, Trump has publicly said his administration will carry out strikes against drug-related targets inside Venezuela.

“The land is going to be next,” Trump told reporters last week.

The U.S. campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific has already targeted at least 14 boats that Washington said were involved in the illegal drug trade, killing 61 people. Trump has previously confirmed he has authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela.

While the exact timing of any land strikes is unclear, officials close to Trump had suggested it could be soon.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a senior Republican lawmaker, on Sunday said Trump had told him the administration planned to brief lawmakers on military operations against Venezuela and Colombia when he returned from his trip to Asia.

Trump returned to Washington on Thursday.

A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the military had provided a range of options, including strikes against military facilities inside Venezuela, such as runways.

DRUG TIES ALLEGED

The Venezuelan opposition, watchdog groups and some Latin American neighbors have long accused the Venezuelan government – especially the military – of having ties to the drug trade, particularly in the country’s west, along the border with Colombia. President Nicolas Maduro’s government has always denied any criminal connections.

Maduro has repeatedly alleged that the U.S. is hoping to drive him from power.

The two main leaders of Venezuela’s opposition are increasingly divided over looming U.S. actions targeting the country, even as a crackdown against opposition figures continues, politicians and analysts say.

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.

Ongoing strikes against the alleged drug boats have raised alarm among some Democratic lawmakers who question whether they adhere to the laws of war.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose,Steve Holland and Idrees Ali in WashingtonEditing by Humeyra Pamuk, Franklin Paul, Rod Nickel)