Donald Trump Latin America military intervention 2026: Maduro Abducted as Tensions Explode

The gloves are off in the Western Hemisphere. According to Al Jazeera, the United States executed a massive military strike against Venezuela and abducted President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend, marking a sharp escalation in regional conflict. By Monday morning, January 5, 2026, President Donald Trump doubled down, issuing stern warnings to Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico to "get their act together" or face similar consequences.

Impact of Donald Trump Latin America military intervention 2026

The power disparity between the U.S. and its southern neighbors is staggering. In 2025, the U.S. defense budget reached $895bn, roughly 3.1 percent of its GDP. While Brazil remains the strongest military in Latin America at 11th globally, the countries under Trump's direct threat—Mexico (32nd), Colombia (46th), and Venezuela (50th)—cannot match the U.S. in conventional air, naval, or land assets.

The Asymmetrical Wild Card: Paramilitary Forces

Despite the conventional gap, the U.S. faces a complex threat from irregular forces. Cuba boasts the world's third-largest paramilitary force with over 1.14 million members. In Mexico, drug cartels like the Zetas function as de facto militaries, often outgunning local authorities. These groups' use of asymmetrical warfare could prove difficult for conventional U.S. strategies to neutralize quickly.