LETTER: No secret what Trump’s motivation was for Venezuelan action

Donald Trump invaded Venezuela on the pretext that Nicolas Maduro is a narco-terrorist who has been associated with cartels that have been importing drugs into the United States. His action flies in the face of his recent full and complete pardon in 2025 of Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former president of Honduras, who was serving a 45-year federal sentence for conspiracy to import 400 tons of cocaine into the United States. Mr. Trump felt that Mr. Hernandez was treated unfairly by this conviction.

Mr. Trump’s concern for the people of Venezuela is shallow because his administration ended the “temporary protected status” of approximately 600,000 Venezuelans living in the United States in November 2025, thereby setting this population up for deportation actions.

What does that say about his motives? The reason for the invasion becomes crystal clear — oil. The control, collection and sale of Venezuelan oil. It’s about money. Nothing more, nothing less. Nothing about the welfare of the Venezuelan people or the American troops who may have to enter a war over oil. No actual plan of how all of this will be implemented. Nada.