Editor's note: Peter Marko Tase is an Honorary Professor of American Diplomatic History and U.S. Foreign Policy at the Azerbaijan University of Languages, Republic of Azerbaijan. He is also the founder of the Azerbaijan-United States Economic and Education Council. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect the opinions of News.Az.
In the coming weeks, the United States stands on the brink of a decisive moment. Under the leadership of Secretary of War Peter Hegseth, Washington is preparing to launch a land invasion of Venezuela, a long-overdue effort to dismantle the brutal narco-dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro Moros.
Maduro is not a legitimate leader; he has poisoned American society by flooding U.S. territories with criminals and drugs. His regime has become a cancer on the Western Hemisphere, one that the United States can no longer afford to tolerate.
Today, America's military presence in the Caribbean sends a clear message of intent. Two nuclear-powered submarines, four destroyers, and three frigates are now stationed near Venezuelan waters. Alongside them, eight thousand U.S. troops are being mobilized for a mission that could reshape the political landscape of Latin America.
The U.S. Navy has already destroyed a Venezuelan submarine loaded with narcotics and intercepted multiple drug-smuggling vessels bound for American shores. This is not aggression; it is self-defense.
The recent resignation of Admiral Alvin Holsey, former head of U.S. Southern Command, underscores the gravity of this moment. Holsey's disagreement with the Trump administration over striking drug boats in open waters may be understandable from a bureaucratic standpoint, but the reality is that half-measures and hesitation have allowed criminal regimes to thrive. America cannot afford to be passive when its citizens are under siege from foreign drug cartels.
Venezuela is no ordinary failed state. It is run by El Cártel de los Soles, a ruthless network of narco-generals and traffickers with tentacles reaching deep into Central America and even the United States itself.
At the same time, relations between Washington and Bogotá are strained to the limit. President Gustavo Petro of Colombia, a former guerrilla fighter, has shamelessly accused President Trump of "defending genocide" in Gaza. Such reckless rhetoric only emboldens America's enemies and weakens the unity of the hemisphere.
The planned U.S. invasion of Venezuela will likely mirror the tactics of the 1989 operation in Panama that toppled Manuel Noriega. That mission - Operation Just Cause - succeeded in restoring stability and democracy to Panama. A similar outcome in Venezuela could liberate millions from tyranny.
Reports suggest that the CIA is already conducting covert operations inside Venezuela to undermine the regime and neutralize Maduro's loyalists within the Bolivarian Armed Forces. Maduro's fate could soon resemble that of Libya's Muammar al-Qaddafi, another dictator who defied the will of free nations.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is preparing a broader campaign against the drug empires of South America. Cocaine labs in both Venezuela and Colombia are likely to become targets of U.S. precision strikes. For Maduro and his Hezbollah-linked cronies, the walls are closing in. His generals no longer feel safe sleeping in the same home for more than one night. His vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, and other corrupt oligarchs are already transferring assets abroad, knowing the end is near.
There are even reports that Cristina Kirchner's political network in Argentina is helping Maduro launder his fortune, a shocking testament to how deep the rot of corruption runs in the region.
The United States must also confront the foreign powers that prop up Maduro's regime. Russian and Chinese intelligence officers operate freely in Venezuela, using it as a staging ground for espionage and influence operations against the West. President Trump has vowed to expel them, and rightly so. In doing so, he will signal that the Western Hemisphere is not open for hostile occupation.
At the same time, Washington will continue its strategic dialogue with Moscow through back channels. Sanctions on Russian oil must remain in force to weaken the Kremlin's capacity for aggression, even as diplomatic engagement continues. Trump's upcoming meeting with China's president will also define the balance of power in the coming years, influencing both U.S.-China and U.S.-Russia relations.
The road ahead for the Trump administration will not be easy. Relations with Moscow will remain complex, and the ongoing war in Ukraine will continue to inflict suffering and economic devastation. Yet President Trump remains the only statesman with the resolve and vision to deter Russian expansionism and contain authoritarian regimes worldwide.
In many ways, President Trump's leadership recalls the boldness of Thomas Jefferson, firm in defense of liberty and unapologetic in pursuit of national strength. The planned construction of a new ballroom in the White House may seem symbolic, but it represents something larger: a revival of American prestige, a restoration of confidence, and the projection of power worthy of the world's leading superpower.
America's enemies fear President Trump because he does not bend. And that, more than anything, is why his return marks the dawn of a new era of American dominance, an era where dictators tremble and freedom once again finds its voice in the world.
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