The Pentagon is drafting plans to launch drone strikes against drug traffickers inside Venezuela within weeks, NBC News reported.

Military officials are targeting drug labs and cartel leadership as President Donald Trump seeks to halt the flow of narcotics from the South American nation, according to NBC News. The president has not approved the operations yet, but U.S. and Venezuelan officials are talking through Middle Eastern intermediaries.

The potential strikes would escalate Trump’s military campaign against drug targets. The U.S. military recently struck at least three boats from Venezuela allegedly carrying drugs, Trump said on Truth Social. Dominican Republic officials said drugs were found in the water after one strike Sunday.

“We’ll see what happens. Venezuela is sending us their gang members, their drug dealers and drugs. It’s not acceptable,” Trump said when asked about the plans. (RELATED: Trump Announces Obliteration Of Another Narco Vessel In Cartel Crackdown)

U.S. military officials are drawing up options to target drug traffickers inside Venezuela, and strikes within that country’s borders could potentially begin in a matter of weeks, four sources tell NBC News. https://t.co/VNDjo8kNQ7

— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 27, 2025

Sources said the administration views Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as not doing enough to stop drug trafficking, the outlet reported. A senior administration official said Trump is “prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.”

The U.S. has deployed eight ships with 4,000 personnel to regional waters and sent F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt condemned a recent letter from Maduro seeking dialogue. “We view the Maduro regime as illegitimate, and the president has clearly shown that he’s willing to use any and all means necessary to stop the illegal trafficking of deadly drugs from the Venezuelan regime into the United States of America,” Leavitt said Monday.

The Justice Department indicted Maduro on drug trafficking charges in 2020. The administration recently increased the reward for his arrest to $50 million.