Officials in the Trump administration on Saturday discussed the possibility of dropping leaflets on Venezuela’s capital city of Caracas as it seeks to weaken the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Among the potential avenues discussed regarding operations for Venezuela was dropping U.S. leaflets on Caracas as a kind of psychological warfare to pressure Maduro, multiple U.S. officials familiar with the talks told CBS News.
The operation, which was not yet authorized, could possibly take place Sunday, the officials said, which is Maduro’s 63rd birthday.
The Washington Post was first to report on the proposed leaflet operation.
Over the past few months, the U.S. has ratcheted up the pressure on Maduro in multiple ways, including an extensive military buildup in the region, live fire exercises, and strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
When asked Monday, President Trump said he wouldn’t rule out sending U.S. troops into Venezuela.
“No, I don’t rule out that,” the president said. “I don’t rule out anything. We just have to take care of Venezuela.”
For his part, Maduro on the same day said he would be open to “face-to-face” discussions with Mr. Trump.
Last month, Mr. Trump also confirmed that he has authorized the CIA to go into Venezuela and conduct covert operations.
Juan BARRETO /AFP via Getty Images 
The Pentagon has conducted at least 21 strikes since early September, killing at least 80 people. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the strikes are designed to target cartels and drug traffickers, although it has not provided evidence that the vessels struck so far were carrying drugs.
There are currently about 15,000 U.S. troops in the region. A Navy official told CBS News last week that the U.S. had four military ships in the western Atlantic, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s most advanced aircraft carrier, and three guided missile destroyers. It had another seven military ships in the Caribbean, the official said, which included two guided missile destroyers, two guided missile cruisers, an amphibious assault ship and two amphibious transport dock ships.
There are also several dozen U.S. fighter jets stationed in Puerto Rico.
Maduro, who has led Venezuela since 2013, faced an international outcry when he declared victory in Venezuela’s presidential elections in July 2024 despite results showing he had lost by a large margin to the opposition candidate.
The U.S. is one of several nations that does not recognize him as Venezuela’s president. The Trump administration has accused him of operating a cartel that funnels drugs into the U.S., and has offered a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
