President Donald Trump has discussed anchoring the U.S. Navy along the Venezuelan coastline as the United States steps up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro to relinquish power, Axios reports.
Trump has suggested a naval blockade in the past, though U.S. officials have made clear they show no significant signs of taking up military options.
The Axios report suggested Trump discussed the idea of an embargo with five current and former officials.
"He literally just said we should get the ships out there and do a naval embargo," one source who heard the president’s comments in private told Axios. "Prevent anything going in."
"I'm assuming he's thinking of the Cuban missile crisis," the source added. "But Cuba is an island and Venezuela is a massive coastline. And Cuba we knew what we were trying to prevent from getting in. But here what are we talking about? It would need massive, massive amounts of resources; probably more than the U.S. Navy can provide."
Trump has slapped a series of escalating sanctions on Venezuela to pressure Maduro to step down, but the Maduro government continues to control the Venezuelan military with the help of the Cubans and Russians. China has also expressed support for Maduro, even as his populist policies have created huge spikes in hyperinflation, unemployment, poverty, crime, disease and child mortality in Venezuela.
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