On December 12, US President Donald Trump continued to make tough statements regarding Venezuela, most notably threatening to launch ground military operations in the South American country. This latest move by the White House is XEM as a signal that tensions between Washington and the Venezuelan government of President Nicolas Maduro are entering a more serious escalation phase. 
According to sources, President Donald Trump's statement came at the same time the US administration imposed a new series of sanctions targeting Venezuela's oil sector. These sanctions not only target oil tankers and shipping companies involved in Caracas' energy exports, but also extend to individuals believed to have close ties to President Nicolas Maduro. Washington argues that these measures are necessary to increase economic and political pressure, forcing the Venezuelan government to concede to US demands regarding security and governance.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on December 12, President Donald Trump made a brief but cryptic statement that "things will soon begin on land." When asked whether the US operations targeting Venezuela were still primarily focused on the war on drugs or had expanded to include oil-related interests, Trump asserted that drug trafficking by sea had decreased by 92% recently. However, the US leader provided no further details about the specific timing or location of potential military action, leaving international observers concerned about unpredictable scenarios in the coming period.
