The largest US military build-up in the area since the 1989 Panama invasion, we are told , is all to fight “narco-terrorism”. In response, Venezuela has mobilized 200,000 troops and militia and is vamping up its wide array of formidable Russian missiles, aircraft and other defenses. Will Russian weapons save Venezuela?
By Robin Davis, November 17, 2025
We’ve seen this movie before. It’s called Regime Change. The characters differ but the story remains essentially the same. The latest US target is Venezuela where we see the same old plot line unfolding.
Invent a Pretext
In this case it’s defeating “narco-terrorism”. During the last three months the US military has destroyed 20 alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific killing 80 people.
There is no legal justification for this under international or US law. If the victims really were suspected drug traffickers they would be intercepted and tried in a court of law. Is extrajudicial killing the new “due process”?
Keep in mind, this is happening 1000 to 2000 miles from the US. They are not ocean-going boats, and the US drug enforcement agency (DEA) acknowledges that Venezuela is not a significant supplier of drugs to the US.
Think about that. And think about the deployment to the area of F-35 jets, B-52 bombers, eight warships, a nuclear submarine and the USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy’s largest aircraft carrier and the largest warship ever built. That firepower is manned by around 15,000 personnel — a 2 to 3 times increase and the largest build-up since the 1989 Panama invasion.
Surely, that’s a bit of overkill if it were really about drugs.
Vilify the Leader
The US claims, with zero independent evidence, that Venezuelan president Maduro heads the so-called “Cartel of the Suns” drug cartel, and has increased the bounty on his head to $50 million. That looks like a juicy inducement for Venezuelan generals to become fabulously rich overnight.
Install a Friendly Leader
Maria Corina Machado is waiting in the wings to replace Maduro. She won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy”. Her “just and peaceful” efforts include asking the US to increase military intimidation on her own country and urging the Venezuelan military to defect. She has welcomed the US 2024 Bolivar Act expanding sanctions, and Trump’s military targeting and extrajudicial killing of alleged “narco-traffickers”.
Machado also says she’ll move the Venezuelan embassy to Jerusalem to “support Israel”.
Exploit the Target Country’s Resources
Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves, surpassing Saudi Arabia, and significant untapped natural gas reserves. These vast natural assets remain undeveloped primarily due to the US sanctions crippling the economy and blocking the $200B investment required.
Machado has promised massive privatisation of state assets, selling off $1.7 trillion of infrastructure and resources.
And that’s the key point. Under Chavez and now Maduro, Venezuela has refused to allow the US and its corporations to dominate the country and extract resources while Venezuelans see little to no benefit.
So, everything is in place but then there’s the Russians.
Will Russian weapons save Venezuela from regime change? Venezuela is Moscow’s top Latin American client. The Venezuelan military fields a wide array of formidable Russian missiles, aircraft, tanks, radar and electronic jamming systems. These are being vamped up and upgraded in response to US threats and intimidation.
I’m old enough to remember the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, which brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.
I don’t think we’re about to see a re-run of that movie. But then we had a cool-headed John Kennedy in the Whitehouse. Today we have an unpredictable Donald Trump.
Featured Image: Caracas, Venezuela. World Wonders screenshot.
Also see: Venezuela Prepares for US Aggression