A vessel, which President Donald Trump said was transporting illegal narcotics and heading to the U.S., is struck by the U.S. military as it navigates in the southern Caribbean, in this still image obtained from video posted by Trump on Truth Social on Sept. 2, 2025.

WASHINGTON ‒ President Donald Trump said he is considering U.S. military strikes on land targets to combat the flow of drugs from Venezuelan cartels into the United States after five recent maritime attacks on alleged drug-smuggling boats.

"We are certainly looking at land now because we've got the sea very well under control," Trump told reporters on Oct. 15.

Trump made the remarks after the New York Times reported the Trump administration has secretly authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct covert action in Venezuela in an escalation of its campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's regime.

Trump confirmed the report, saying the action is in response to Venezuelan migrants and drugs entering the United States.

"A lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea, so you get to see that, but we're going to stop them by land also," Trump said.

Trump did not specify locations for potential strikes on land targets.

Asked by a reporter whether the CIA has the authority to "take out" Maduro, Trump responded: "Wouldn't it be a ridiculous question for me to answer? But I think Venezuela is feeling heat."

The U.S. military on Oct. 14 carried out its fifth attack on a boat in the Caribbean Sea since September, killing six people. Trump said each were "narcoterrorists" trying to bring illegal narcotics in the United States. In all, 26 people have been killed from the five boat attacks.

Trump in February designated some drug cartels as "foreign terrorist organizations," a move administration officials argue gives them legal justification for the strikes.

But the Trump administration has yet to deliver evidence to Congress supporting claims that the alleged drug-smuggling boats were carrying narcotics. Democrats and other critics have questioned the legal basis for Trump to use the military to hit boats that don't pose an immediate threat of an attack – even if they were carrying drugs.

Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says he's considering strikes on land to combat Venezuelan drug cartels

Reporting by Joey Garrison, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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