Trump threatens to shoot down Venezuelan military aircraft as U.S. military presence around Venezuela grows

On Sep. 5, 2025, President Trump warned Venezuelan jets could be shot down if they 'put us in a dangerous position,' according to multiple U.S. news reports and Pentagon statements.

U.S. forces staged a major buildup in early Sep. 2025, including reports of ten F-35 fighters sent to Puerto Rico and over 4,000 U.S. sailors and Marines operating in the southern Caribbean.

A U.S. strike on Sep. 2, 2025, killed 11 people on a boat the U.S. said belonged to the Tren de Aragua criminal group; Venezuelan officials called the action unlawful and outside evidence remains contested.

The Justice Department and State Department announced an increased reward of up to $50 million for information leading to Nicolás Maduro's arrest on drug-related charges on Aug. 7, 2025.

Trump signed a secret directive in Jul.-Aug. 2025 authorizing lethal strikes against cartels, confirmed by CNN reporting on classified Justice Department legal opinions, though the directive itself remains classified.

Reporting that Maduro mobilized exactly 340,000 soldiers and eight million militia members is not substantiated by independent sources; Venezuela conventional military has approximately 123,000 members, while militia claims of 4.5-8 million are disputed by experts.