U.S.-Venezuela Escalation Timeline

March 2015

Obama signs E.O. 13692 declaring Venezuela a national emergency under IEEPA
State Dept: Venezuela-Related Sanctions | CRS Report IF10715

August 2017

Trump states military option “not ruled out”
E.O. 13808 blocks Venezuelan government access to U.S. financial markets
Wikipedia: Proposed U.S. Invasion of Venezuela

November 2018

E.O. 13850 authorizes sectoral sanctions framework
Morgan Lewis Analysis

January 2019

OFAC designates PdVSA (state oil company)
U.S. recognizes Juan Guaidó as interim president
CRS Venezuela Sanctions Overview

August 2019

E.O. 13884 implements “maximum pressure” blocking all Venezuelan government property
Wikipedia: Sanctions During Venezuelan Crisis

January 2020

82nd Airborne conducts airfield seizure exercise in Colombia near Venezuelan border
We Are The Mighty

March 2020

DOJ indicts Maduro on narco-terrorism charges; offers $15M bounty
Al Jazeera: Trump’s $50M Reward

April 2020

“Enhanced Counter-Narcotics Operations” deploys destroyers to Caribbean (USS Lassen, Preble, Farragut)
Navy conducts Freedom of Navigation Operations near Venezuelan waters
USNI News | EU ISS Analysis

October 2023

Biden issues General Licenses 43/44 (Barbados Agreement) providing conditional sanctions relief
Morgan Lewis | UPI

July 2024

Disputed Venezuelan election; Maduro claims victory
U.S. declares opposition candidate Edmundo González won
CNN: Venezuela Election | Wikipedia: 2024 Venezuelan Election

January 2025

Trump re-intensifies sanctions; bounty raised to $25M
PolitiFact

August 2025

Maduro bounty raised to $50M (largest U.S. bounty ever)
Al Jazeera

September 2025

U.S. begins strikes on vessels allegedly carrying narcotics; 21+ strikes, 80+ killed
ABC News

November 24, 2025

Trump designates “Cartel de los Soles” as Foreign Terrorist Organization; Maduro named as member
CNN

November 27, 2025

Trump states U.S. “land action” will begin “very soon”
USS Gerald R. Ford CSG, USS Iwo Jima ARG deployed; 15,000+ troops in region
CNN | OPB/AP | Al Jazeera

Legal Authorities Used (No Congressional Authorization)

Authority	Mechanism	Source
IEEPA (50 USC §1701)	Declared “national emergency” enables sanctions	Wikipedia
Article II Commander-in-Chief	OLC opinions allow force for “national interests” without Congress	DOJ OLC Libya Opinion
2001 AUMF	No geographic/temporal limits; used against “associated forces”	Congress.gov
War Powers “hostilities” loophole	Deployments don’t trigger 60-day clock absent sustained combat	State Dept 2011 Testimony
FTO Designation	Authorizes force against designated terrorist members	CNN
Title 50 Covert Action	Presidential finding only requires Gang of Eight notification	CRS R45191

this post was submitted on 30 Nov 2025

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