What to know about Trump's U.S. gunboat diplomacy near Venezuela

The U.S. continues to conduct deadly strikes off of Venezuela and is assembling unprecedented firepower for what could become a full-on military conflict.The big picture: President Trump and his administration have been quiet about who has been killed and on what evidence, but the swell of American forces coalescing off Venezuela's shores has escalated tensions between Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Washington.Driving the news: Trump told reporters on Friday that he has "sort of" decided how to continue operations in Venezuela, but added that he couldn't tell reporters "what it would be."On Sunday, he said that there was "no update" yet, but that he "may be having some discussions" with Maduro moving forward.Between the lines: The operations have targeted what the administration has called narco-terrorist drug vessels — but the underlying potential to spark regime change is also at play, Axios' Marc Caputo previously reported.The present tension is years in the making. The U.S. and others in the international community have alleged Maduro, now in his third term, has retained power through manipulation and stolen elections.Trump has also made the disputed claim that Maduro is in league with drug gangs and heads the Cartel de los Soles, which the State Department designated this week as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Maduro has denied the allegation.What have the strikes targeted so far?The official word is that the U.S. is striking drug vessels from Venezuela that are being operated by narco-terrorists.At least 83 people have been killed in over twenty strikes since the president first announced the operation in September. So far, no U.S. forces have been harmed.The other side: Maduro has said his country is at "maximum preparedness" to defend itself amid U.S. pressure, according to the Associated Press, and said that he would declare a "republic in arms" if the U.S. attacked.Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has classified America's military exercises in the area as "provocation" and "aimed at provoking a war."Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a Maduro ally, described a September strike as "murder."What oversight exists over the operation?Democrats are pushing the administration to provide Congress with more information about the strikes, which the administration insists Trump has the authority to carry out. A bid to block Trump from taking military action against Venezuela failed in the Senate earlier this month, with a 49-51 vote, even though lawmakers from both parties have expressed interest in increased transparency about the operations.What gun power is assembled in the area?The U.S. has assembled an unprecedented amount of force off Venezuela's coast, including fighter jets, early-warning aircraft, sub-hunters, and long-range Tomahawk missiles.The world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, arrived off the coast on Sunday, joining at least seven other warships Trump directed to the area earlier this year. The USS Wichita, located north of Cuba, and the USS Lake Erie in St. Thomas, are also close by, according to the Washington Post. State of play: There's enough firepower in the area to conduct immediate strikes on Venezuela, including roughly 185 Tomahawks, according to estimates from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.How has the Trump administration targeted Maduro?Threat level: The Trump administration doubled the reward amount for Maduro's arrest to $50 million in August, with Attorney General Pam Bondi accusing him of using criminal gangs "to bring deadly drugs and violence" into the U.S.Zoom out: The administration sought to tie the Maduro regime to criminal gangs as it tried to invoke the wartime authority of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to accelerate deportations of Venezuelan migrants the administration suspected of being in gangs.But a partially declassified intelligence memo asserted that Maduro's regime was "probably not directing" TDA's movement into and operations within the U.S. And an appeals court ruled in September that the administration can't use the centuries-old wartime law for its fast-tracked deportations, granting a preliminary injunction to prevent removals. Go deeper: Venezuela's sham election collides with U.S. campaign

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