WASHINGTON — According to NBC News, U.S. military officials are considering options to address drug traffickers within Venezuela’s borders, and potential actions could commence within weeks, as informed by four sources.

These sources include two U.S. officials acquainted with the planning and two others knowledgeable about the discussions, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the information.

A move to conduct strikes in Venezuela would signify an intensification of the Trump administration’s military efforts against alleged drug operations and a firm stance towards Venezuela’s government.

Recently, President Donald Trump commented on Truth Social that the U.S. military targeted at least three Venezuelan vessels purportedly involved in drug trafficking. Although the administration has not shown evidence of drugs on all vessels, officials from the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Embassy confirmed the presence of drugs in the water after one incident.

While actions inside Venezuela might commence in coming weeks, no presidential approval has been granted yet, the four individuals indicated. Two of them, alongside another official, mentioned that the increased military response is partially due to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s perceived inadequate efforts to curb the country’s illegal drug exports.

Discussions involve plans primarily aimed at drone strikes targeting members and leaders of drug trafficking groups, as well as their drug production facilities, the sources revealed.

Asked for comment, the White House referred NBC News to this previous statement from the president: “We’ll see what happens. Venezuela is sending us their gang members, their drug dealers and drugs. It’s not acceptable.” The Pentagon declined to comment.

Some Trump administration officials are disappointed that the United States’ military escalation does not appear to have weakened Maduro’s grip on power or prompted any significant response, the official familiar with the discussions said. The White House has faced more pushback on the strikes against the drug boats than it anticipated, prompting the administration to think carefully about next steps, the official familiar with the discussions said.

That includes discussions between the U.S. and Venezuela through Middle Eastern leaders serving as intermediaries, NBC News has learned. According to a senior administration official, Maduro has spoken to those intermediaries about concessions he would be willing to make to remain in power. The senior administration official would not specify which countries are acting as intermediaries beyond saying that they are allies.

Trump is “prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice,” the senior administration official said.

The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Maduro has previously denied any role in drug trafficking and has repeatedly alleged that the U.S. is trying to force him from power.

Asked about the possibility of U.S. strikes within his country, Anibal Sanchez Ismayel, a Venezuelan political analyst, told NBC News in a WhatsApp message, “An attack on Venezuelan soil would have consequences from diplomatic protests to an increase in political persecutions of those they classify as collaborators, to further uniting the population with the need to defend sovereignty reaffirmed.”

The official familiar with discussions and another source familiar with the administration’s thinking believe the U.S. striking inside Venezuela would not be surprising given other recent events.

The U.S. has deployed at least eight ships with more than 4,000 personnel to the waters in the region recently and sent F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico, according to the U.S. military.

“You don’t move that many resources down there without looking at all options,” the source familiar with the administration’s thinking said.

That is especially true because keeping thousands of U.S. military forces, ships and aircraft in the area could begin to impact deployments elsewhere.

“You can’t keep that kind of firepower in the Caribbean forever,” one of the sources familiar with the discussions said.

In 2020, during Trump’s first term, the Justice Department indicted Maduro on drug trafficking charges. The Trump administration has accused Maduro of working with cartels that it says are sending cocaine, fentanyl and gang members to the U.S. The administration recently increased a U.S. reward for Maduro’s arrest to $50 million. Venezuela is not a significant cocaine producer, but is considered a major departure point for flights carrying the drug elsewhere. It is not believed to be a source for illegal fentanyl brought into the U.S., most of which comes from Mexico.

Trump administration officials have not ruled out regime change as another aim of these military operations, and they have increased pressure on Maduro himself. NBC News previously reported that the administration’s goal, according to the source familiar with its thinking, is to force Maduro to make rash decisions that could ultimately lead to him being ousted without American boots on the ground.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been one of the voices championing regime change, according to the source familiar with the administration’s thinking.

Earlier this month Maduro sent a letter to Trump about opening a dialogue, according to a social media post by the Venezuelan government. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Trump received the letter but condemned it.

“Frankly, I think there were a lot of lies that were repeated by Maduro in that letter, and the administration’s position on Venezuela has not changed,” Leavitt said at a White House press briefing Monday. “We view the Maduro regime as illegitimate, and the president has clearly shown that he’s willing to use any and all means necessary to stop the illegal trafficking of deadly drugs from the Venezuelan regime into the United States of America.”

The U.S. has continued to coordinate with Venezuela on some matters, including on continuing deportation flights, the official familiar with the discussions said. There have been 54 such flights through last Friday, that official said.

Ric Grenell, who serves as the special presidential envoy for special missions, has been in routine communication with Trump and continues to push diplomacy with Venezuela as an option, according to the same official as well as a source familiar with the negotiations.