The strikes follow months of U.S. military buildup in the region, with the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and numerous other warships positioned in the Caribbean. CBS news reported.
In recent weeks the U.S. has seized two oil tankers off Venezuela, launched deadly strikes on more than 30 boats the administration says were carrying drugs, and struck what President Trump called "the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs."
The Trump administration has accused Maduro of drug trafficking and working with gangs designated as terrorist organizations, which Maduro denies. On Christmas Eve, Mr. Trump declined to say what his goal was, but cautioned that if Maduro "plays tough, it'll be the last time he'll ever be able to play tough."
