Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Trump admin understands boat strikes are ‘part of a larger puzzle’

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed the deeper meaning behind the Trump administration’s military buildup in the Caribbean, as the top U.S. general visits troops in Puerto Rico on Monday.

“I do think that this administration understands that this is all part of a larger puzzle,” Pompeo told “The Story” anchor Martha MacCallum.

The White House has yet to issue an official statement on Operation Southern Spear, the largest military operation in that region since the Cuban Missile Crisis. More than 20 strikes have taken place against suspected drug trafficking boats.

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On Nov. 13, War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in an “X” post that the operation aims to remove “narco-terrorists” from the Western Hemisphere.

U.S. Southern Command released footage showing a precision strike by U.S. forces on a narcotics vessel operated by a designated terrorist organization in the Eastern Pacific on Nov. 15. (US Southern Command)

When MacCallum asked Pompeo whether he thinks President Donald Trump wants to see Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro “toppled,” the former CIA director shared what he thinks the Trump administration is “very serious” about.

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“The Venezuelans [are] supported by the Cubans, the Russians and the Chinese now in our own neighborhood,” Pompeo discussed. “And getting rid of Maduro gives the Venezuelan people a shot and keeps us safer.”

The Trump administration ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford head to U.S. Southern Command, prompting Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro to accuse Trump of “fabricating a new eternal war.”  (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images; Getty Images)

“So I think that this administration is very serious, very serious about continuing to ratchet up the pressure on the regime such that the Venezuelan people get an opportunity to have a leadership that can actually protect them and give them a shot at prosperity,” he continued.

Since 2020, the Justice Department has accused Maduro of leading a drug trafficking and narco-terrorism organization.

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Pompeo noted the first Trump administration failed to topple Maduro, something even former President Barack Obama wanted. However, the Venezuelans have been “willing to do more,” he added.

A man holds his fist next to a poster depicting President Barack Obama, during an anti-U.S. rally, in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, March 12, 2016. President Nicolas Maduro called back Venezuela’s top diplomat in Washington, protesting the renewal of sanctions by Obama on several of Venezuela’s top officials over human rights violations. The two nations haven't exchanged ambassadors since 2010. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

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“We never know how these end. When you least expect these things, sometimes they happen,” Pompeo said. “And I think that the leadership in Venezuela outside of Maduro now can see that there is a window, and maybe with enough opportunity and enough pressure, we can deliver that outcome.”