Trump takes holistic approach to drug trafficking crackdown, general says

President Donald Trump’s ultimatum to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro marks a brand new flashpoint in his complete crackdown on drug trafficking, drawing reward from a retired US Military common.

Retired Gen. Jack Keane applauded Trump’s “holistic strategy” to the combat in opposition to drug trafficking on “America’s Newsroom” on Monday, labeling the president as the primary to make use of such far-reaching techniques on all fronts.

“For the primary time, we have now a president… who actually views drug trafficking, fentanyl, and naturally cocaine and the remainder of the medicine, as a poison that impacts Americans… We will actually debate the means. However that is the primary president to take a holistic strategy to it,” Keane stated.

Maduro brandishes sword at rally as he rails in opposition to ‘imperialist aggression’ amid rising tensions with US

Venezuelan chief Nicolás Maduro brandishes a sword throughout an occasion on the army academy in Caracas, Venezuela, on November 25, 2025. (Ariana Cubillos/AP Picture)

Trump issued an ultimatum to Maduro to depart Venezuela instantly earlier than asserting the closure of the nation’s airspace, Fox Information Digital beforehand reported.

“I feel it is fairly clear that the president completely desires regime change, and he is providing Maduro the chance to do it voluntarily or he’ll most likely take motion,” stated Keane, a senior strategic analyst for Fox Information.

Whereas Keane emphasised that Trump’s attain into drug trafficking is unprecedented, he famous that the president’s push for regime change in Venezuela would observe historic precedent.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro parades in a army automobile throughout Venezuela’s Independence Day celebrations in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 5, 2025. (JUAN BARRETO/AFP/Getty Photographs)

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“In 1989, George HW Bush led a regime change in Panama from Noriega, who dominated the nation on account of fraudulent elections, which had been a lot the identical as [to Maduro]”And likewise the 12 months earlier than, he was indicted in federal courts for prison drug and human trafficking in the USA.”

“We additionally needed to guard Americans, about 35,000 of them there. We deployed dozens of troops there to make sure that the regime change was applied efficiently,” he continued.

Keane went on to elucidate former President Invoice Clinton, who led regime change in Haiti midway by way of his first time period.
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“In 1994, President Clinton orchestrated regime change in Haiti, the place a army dictatorship had taken energy from a democratically elected president, Aristide, and the mission was to revive Aristide to energy and let him rule the nation. The second was that there have been important mass migrations to the USA due to the horrific human rights violations that occurred on account of the army dictatorship,” he added.

The retired common additional defined that neither Bush nor Clinton had authorization from Congress to make these regime adjustments.

“There was actually some restricted dialogue with Congress beforehand, and considerably extra dialogue with it as soon as the assaults started. However there was no authorization. There was actually cooperation on the time,” Keane stated, emphasizing that Trump faces a number of choices.

Secretary of Conflict Pete Hegseth on Monday introduced two extra airstrikes in opposition to suspected drug smuggling vessels in worldwide waters as a part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on narcotics trafficking. (X, @secwar)

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He then defined a number of the president’s future choices. For instance, Trump might select to “proceed to exhibit the established order, which he’s doing now with army power within the area and making threats, or he might do one thing extra necessary like our earlier presidents did.”

“This can be a prison who shields his prison actions by way of his presidential political energy. And it’s important to see him for what it’s and what its influence is on the USA,” Keane stated of Maduro.

Though Trump’s confrontation with Maduro is happening within the Western Hemisphere, the administration’s crackdown might have broader penalties for America’s enemies world wide.

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Keane stated that “each time the USA exerts its energy and affect, all our adversaries are clearly paying consideration.“

“Essentially the most graphic was when the USA delivered a decisive blow in assist of Israel’s assault on Iran, pushing Iran again right into a place we have not seen in 44 years and weakening that regime. Definitely President Xi has paid consideration to that, and so has Putin. They’ve all develop into aggressive within the intervening years between Trump one and Trump two,” he stated.