The U.S. intervention in Venezuela may have opened the door to far broader ambitions. After the dramatic capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro,
President Donald Trump is now fueling speculation that additional countries —some dangerously close to home — could be next.
U.S. forces carried out a surprise operation in Caracas over the weekend, arresting Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The pair were flown to the United States, where they are expected to face court proceedings. Trump later confirmed that the U.S. would temporarily oversee Venezuela until power is transferred, calling the mission a success.
But it was Trump’s comments afterward that raised fresh alarms.
Named as possible next target
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump appeared to single out Colombia. According to TMZ, he referred to Colombian President Gustavo Petro as a “sick man” who “likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States.” Trump added that Petro would not be “doing it very long.”
When a reporter asked whether Colombia could be next, Trump replied:
“It sounds good to me.”
The remarks come just weeks after Trump warned Petro to “watch his a**” and labeled him an “illegal drug leader.”
Petro fired back following Maduro’s arrest, posting on X that Trump should “stop slandering” him and warning that Latin America must unite or risk being “treated as a servant and slave.”
Cuba and Mexico also in the spotlight
Colombia may not be the only country on Trump’s radar. He also suggested Cuba is on the brink of collapse, claiming its economy depended heavily on Venezuelan oil.
“Cuba now has no income. They got all of their income from Venezuela, from the Venezuelan oil. They’re not getting any of it. Cuba literally is ready to fall,” Trump said.
While he downplayed the need for military action in Cuba, Trump issued a pointed warning to Mexico. He said the country “has to get their act together” as drugs continue “pouring through” the border and hinted the U.S. might “have to do something.”
At the same time, he struck a softer tone toward Mexico’s president, calling Claudia Sheinbaum a “terrific person,” before adding: “But unfortunately, the cartels are very strong in Mexico.”
International backlash grows
Trump’s aggressive posture has sparked international outrage. Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, and Spain released a joint statement condemning the Venezuela raid.
“We express our profound concern and firmly reject the military actions undertaken unilaterally in Venezuelan territory,” the statement read.
“These actions contravene fundamental principles of international law… and constitute an extremely dangerous precedent for peace and regional security.”
Trump, however, appeared unmoved. Speaking from Mar-a-Lago, he praised the operation as “brilliant,” crediting “great, great troops and great people,” and accused Maduro of turning Venezuela into a “terrorist organization.”
Greenland back on the table
Emboldened by the Venezuela operation, Trump has also revived a controversial idea from his first term: acquiring Greenland.
According to the White House, Trump sees Greenland as a national security priority to “deter our adversaries in the Arctic region.” Officials confirmed that multiple options are being discussed, including purchasing the island or forming a Compact of Free Association.
“The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal,” the White House said.
Greenland and Denmark have repeatedly rejected the idea, and lawmakers from both parties warned against threatening a NATO ally.
Still, one senior official said Trump remains determined.
“It’s not going away,” the official said of Trump’s push to acquire Greenland.
On January 6, Denmark’s parliamentary foreign affairs committee held an emergency crisis meeting to address the threat. Afterward, Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said Denmark had requested talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to Rubio, the goal is to purchase the island from Denmark, the Wall Street Journal reports.
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