US Escalates Military Campaign Against Venezuela Amid Maduro's Peace Plea

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has urgently appealed for peace and warned against a "crazy war" amid escalating U.S. military operations in the Caribbean and Pacific targeting alleged drug trafficking. Speaking in English, Maduro emphasized his country's desire for peace while accusing the U.S. of seeking regime change and threatening Venezuela's sovereignty. U.S. President Donald Trump has authorized covert CIA actions and a growing military presence, including stealth warplanes, naval vessels, and B-1 bomber flights near Venezuela, without publicly releasing evidence of drug smuggling. Trump has also declared a hardline stance on immigration, warning of lethal force against those entering the U.S., and indicated that formal war declarations might be bypassed. The U.S. strikes, ongoing since early September, have reportedly killed at least 37 people and heightened regional tensions, with neighboring Trinidad and Tobago cooperating with U.S. forces for joint exercises. Maduro has also boasted about Venezuela's substantial arsenal of Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles as a deterrent against potential attacks.