Republican lawmakers are divided over whether President Trump should escalate military pressure on Venezuela to oust President Nicolás Maduro, with some Republicans warning that “regime

President Trump continues to ramp up pressure on Venezuela's Nicholas Maduro, saying it would be "smart" for him to step down and warning him not to play "tough."

When asked if he could rule out a ground invasion of Venezuela, Trump answered: “I don’t want to rule in or out.”

Now, President Donald Trump wants Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro out of power. Maduro’s “days are numbered,” Trump told Politico in an interview released on Dec. 9. His Administration considers Maduro the head of a government-sponsored cocaine smuggling syndicate.

Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino warned that rising tensions between Washington and Caracas could help shape a “new world order,” as he accused the United States of acting out of desperation amid declining global influence.

President Donald Trump reportedly ordered a two-month "quarantine" of Venezuela's oil industry as the administration continues its pressure campaign.

China has ample reason to oppose the build-up of American military might in Caribbean Sea –and the recent US interceptions of tankers hauling Venezuelan oil.

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene slammed the Trump administration's campaign against the Venezuelan regime, highlighting that authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro "has been critical of Israel.