Top Trump officials actively coordinating Maduro's overthrow

Venezuelan opposition leaders are in ongoing talks with U.S. officials to topple Nicolás Maduro’s regime, which they call a “criminal structure.” These discussions, separate from May’s meetings, align with intensified U.S. military actions. Since September 2, U.S. forces have killed 17 people in strikes on civilian boats suspected of drug smuggling, actions lacking legal justification.

Marco Rubio, Trump’s secretary of state, leads the charge, branding Maduro an “illegitimate” leader running a drug cartel that threatens the U.S. He cites a 2020 Justice Department indictment to justify the campaign. Supported by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Stephen Miller, Rubio uses CIA intelligence to target Venezuela’s drug operations.

The Pentagon has stationed 6,500 troops in the Caribbean, preparing for potential operations inside Venezuela. The opposition, including María Corina Machado’s adviser Pedro Urruchurtu, plans a power transfer to Edmundo González, recognized as the 2024 election’s legitimate winner. Urruchurtu insisted, “It has to be done with the use of force.”

The State Department’s Tommy Pigott claims the U.S. focus is solely counternarcotics, denying broader coordination. Meanwhile, Richard Grenell, Trump’s envoy, advocates diplomacy to avoid conflict. Venezuela’s Delcy Rodríguez denies drug export claims and seeks talks, but Maduro’s September 6 letter to Trump was ignored.