Part 4/9:
The Broader Context: A Campaign of Escalation
The move aligns with a larger, multi-faceted campaign developed under Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, combining sanctions, covert operations, and now, direct interventions. The administration has long accused Maduro and his inner circle of running a drug trafficking network, often referred to as the "Cartel of the Suns," and has offered a $50 million bounty for Maduro’s capture.
Historically, U.S. covert activities in Latin America have included overthrows, covert backing of anti-communist insurgents, and even attempts at assassinations—a legacy of intervention that now seems to be evolving in the current context of naroterrorism.