White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers did not reply to questions from The Intercept about plans to attack Venezuela, the options for strikes presented to Trump, and the contracting documents which indicate the U.S. will have a major troop presence in the Caribbean into late 2028.

“These documents suggest that the Trump administration plans to maintain a significantly increased military presence in the Caribbean through the remainder of President Trump’s term in office. With ongoing military strikes against alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and the Pacific, the potential for escalation between the U.S. and Venezuela in particular is high, even if the administration isn’t seeking it,” Gabe Murphy, a policy analyst at Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan budget watchdog advocating for an end to wasteful spending, told The Intercept.