The U.S. bombing of alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela and the buildup of military assets in the region have raised broader questions about possible plans to oust President Nicolás Maduro.

The Venezuelan leader, first elected in 2013, has been in the United States' crosshairs for years. Ambassador James Story, who was the last American diplomat at the now-closed U.S. embassy in Venezuela, said the show of U.S. force in the region is likely intended to oust Maduro.

"This is a very bad actor sitting on top of the world's largest known reserves of oil, plus the critical minerals that will fuel the 21st-century economy, and he's in bed with our strategic competitors," Story said.

"Let's be very clear," Story added. "This is a criminal organization mas

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