US President Donald Trump said he has not yet decided whether the United States will carry out ground strikes inside Venezuela, contradicting reports of imminent military action against the South American nation.

“No, it’s not true,” Trump told reporters while boarding Air Force One, dismissing claims that a decision had already been made. Earlier, The Miami Herald reported that the administration had finalized plans to strike Venezuelan military sites “within days or even hours.”

Since September 2, US forces have sunk 15 vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific during anti-narcotics operations, resulting in at least 61 deaths. Pentagon officials reportedly admitted in a confidential congressional briefing that they do not know the identities of all those killed in the attacks.

The US military buildup in the Caribbean has now reached its largest scale in three decades, raising regional tensions. Meanwhile, the Senate is expected to vote next week on an updated war powers resolution aimed at preventing unauthorized US hostilities against Venezuela.

Democratic lawmakers, including Senator Adam Schiff, have warned that the administration may extend its operations beyond maritime strikes. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has condemned Washington’s actions as an attempt to destabilize his government and expand US military influence in Latin America. Colombian President Gustavo Petro also accused the US of “murder” over the sea attacks on alleged drug traffickers.

As tensions rise, the Biden administration faces increasing pressure at home and abroad to clarify its strategy in the region, while Venezuela continues to rally international support against what it calls US “aggression.”