By CP StaffMonday, January 05, 2026White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine listen as President Donald Trump addresses the media during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago club on Jan. 3, 2026, in Palm Beach, Florida. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Following the U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, President Donald Trump and his administration have hinted that there could be similar operations in other countries.
The United States carried out a large-scale military strike in Caracas early Jan. 3, capturing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, without incurring any reported American casualties. President Trump announced that the operation was aimed at enforcing federal indictments against Maduro, who was charged in 2020 with drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.
U.S. officials have accused Maduro of leading a state-backed cartel that worked with Colombian rebels to smuggle cocaine into the U.S. and armed foreign militias. Trump said the U.S. would govern Venezuela temporarily to ensure a secure transition, citing national security threats and the country’s links to hostile regimes like Iran and Cuba.
Following the operation, Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have issued pointed warnings to several nations, raising questions about potential next targets in the Western Hemisphere and beyond.
Here are four potential targets that have drawn sharp rhetoric from the Trump administration before and after the Venezuela operation.
