President Donald Trump said on Monday he will not “rule out” sending U.S. soldiers to Venezuela.
The U.S. has carried out a series of strikes in recent months against boats the administration says are smuggling illegal drugs in the region.
Trump took questions from reporters in the Oval Office, where he explained that his hoarse voice was the result of yelling at “stupid” people, stating, “I blew my stack.”
NBC News Senior White House Correspondent Garrett Haake asked Trump a “follow-up,” which the president said sounded like “polyp.”
“I thought you said there was a polyp,” Trump cracked. “I don’t wanna hear that.”
“You suggested you’ve made a decision about what you want to do next about Venezuela,” Haake continued. “I understand you don’t want to tip your hand, but is there anything you’re ready to rule out at this point? Are you ruling out U.S. troops on the ground?”
“No, I don’t rule out that, I don’t rule out anything,” Trump answered. “We just have to take care of Venezuela. They dumped hundreds of thousands of people into our country from prisons.”
The U.S. military attacked another suspected drug boat and killed “three male narco-terrorists” based on orders from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, U.S. Southern Command announced on Sunday.
The president said his administration is keeping Congress informed about ongoing efforts to disrupt drug trafficking through Venezuela and Mexico but emphasized that he does not need lawmakers’ approval to act. He said communication with Congress is meant to keep them aware, not to seek authorization.
It was, according to CBS News, the 21st military strike against alleged narcotics-carrying vessels in the past few weeks — strikes that many Democrats have criticized President Donald Trump and Hegseth for.
The attack was on Saturday, according to an X post from SOUTHCOM on Sunday afternoon. An unnamed “designated terrorist organization” was carrying drugs aboard the vessel in the Eastern Pacific and was “struck in international waters,” according to the post. The boat was moving along a “known narco-trafficking route” and carrying drugs.
A brief clip of the boat being hit and bursting into flames was shared:
