U.S. military officials are drawing up options to target drug traffickers inside Venezuela, and strikes within that country’s borders could potentially begin in a matter of weeks, four sources told NBC News.

Those sources are two U.S. officials familiar with the planning and two other sources familiar with the discussions. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plans publicly.

Striking inside Venezuela would be another escalation in the Trump administration’s military campaign against alleged drug targets and its stance toward Venezuela’s government.

In recent weeks, the U.S. military struck at least three boats from Venezuela allegedly carrying narco-traffickers and drugs that could threaten Americans, President Donald Trump said on Truth Social. The administration has not provided evidence that drugs were on all of those boats. But an official in the Dominican Republic, alongside one from the U.S. Embassy there, did say at a press conference Sunday that drugs were found in the water after one strike.

Strikes inside Venezuela could happen in the next several weeks, but the president has not approved anything yet, the four people said. Two of them and an additional official familiar with the discussions said that the United States’ recent military escalation is in part a result of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro not doing enough, in the administration’s view, to stop the flow of illegal drugs out of his country.

The plans being discussed primarily focus on drone strikes against drug trafficking groups’ members and leadership, as well as targeting drug labs, the four sources said.

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.

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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.

Erika Angulo contributed.

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U.S. military officials are drawing up options to target drug traffickers inside Venezuela, and strikes within that country’s borders could potentially begin in a matter of weeks, four sources told NBC News.

Those sources are two U.S. officials familiar with the planning and two other sources familiar with the discussions. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plans publicly.

Striking inside Venezuela would be another escalation in the Trump administration’s military campaign against alleged drug targets and its stance toward Venezuela’s government.

In recent weeks, the U.S. military struck at least three boats from Venezuela allegedly carrying narco-traffickers and drugs that could threaten Americans, President Donald Trump said on Truth Social. The administration has not provided evidence that drugs were on all of those boats. But an official in the Dominican Republic, alongside one from the U.S. Embassy there, did say at a press conference Sunday that drugs were found in the water after one strike.

Strikes inside Venezuela could happen in the next several weeks, but the president has not approved anything yet, the four people said. Two of them and an additional official familiar with the discussions said that the United States’ recent military escalation is in part a result of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro not doing enough, in the administration’s view, to stop the flow of illegal drugs out of his country.

The plans being discussed primarily focus on drone strikes against drug trafficking groups’ members and leadership, as well as targeting drug labs, the four sources said.

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.

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Aug 29

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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.

Erika Angulo contributed.

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U.S. military officials are drawing up options to target drug traffickers inside Venezuela, and strikes within that country’s borders could potentially begin in a matter of weeks, four sources told NBC News.

Those sources are two U.S. officials familiar with the planning and two other sources familiar with the discussions. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plans publicly.

Striking inside Venezuela would be another escalation in the Trump administration’s military campaign against alleged drug targets and its stance toward Venezuela’s government.

In recent weeks, the U.S. military struck at least three boats from Venezuela allegedly carrying narco-traffickers and drugs that could threaten Americans, President Donald Trump said on Truth Social. The administration has not provided evidence that drugs were on all of those boats. But an official in the Dominican Republic, alongside one from the U.S. Embassy there, did say at a press conference Sunday that drugs were found in the water after one strike.

Strikes inside Venezuela could happen in the next several weeks, but the president has not approved anything yet, the four people said. Two of them and an additional official familiar with the discussions said that the United States’ recent military escalation is in part a result of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro not doing enough, in the administration’s view, to stop the flow of illegal drugs out of his country.

The plans being discussed primarily focus on drone strikes against drug trafficking groups’ members and leadership, as well as targeting drug labs, the four sources said.

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.

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Aug 28

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Trump says the U.S. military again targeted a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela

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.

Erika Angulo contributed.

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As the former US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Patrick Fitzgerald knows a thing or two about prosecuting government officials.

He oversaw the prosecution of Illinois Governors Rod Blagojevich and George Ryan. Now, after stepping down more than a decade ago, Fitgerald appears to be poised to serve as legal counsel to James Comey, the former FBI director indicted by the Trump Justice Department for allegedly lying to a congressional committee.

 “He understands the political ramifications,” said Chicago Congressman Mike Quigley. “That’s probably why Comey picked him.”

In a post on X, Blagojevich Friday said, “Crooked James Comey has hired Crooked Patrick Fitzgerald to defend him.” “Birds of a feather flock together!”

Federal prosecutors in Virginia have charged Comey with obstruction and making a false statement to Congress.

However, court records show the grand jury failed to indict on the second of two counts. Newly appointed acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan brought the case Thursday afternoon, just days before the statute of limitations was set to run out.

In a statement Thursday night, Halligan said the “charges as alleged in this represent a breach of the public trust at an extraordinary level.”

Comey declared his innocence in a video post on Instagram after the indictment was announced.

Halligan, who was on President Donald Trump’s defense team prior to his election to a second term, was appointed following the resignation of acting U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert last Friday after pressure grew from the White House to prosecute Comey.

The prosecution is drawing fire from Democrats. Ranking Senate Judiciary member Sen. Dick Durbin, issued a statement saying, “The Department of Justice has become a political tool of a vengeful President” adding “is there a Republican left in Washington who gives a damn.”

Harold Krent, former Dean of IIT’s Kent College of Law said the allegations against Comey will be hard to prove and will likely be challenged before the case goes to trial. He said Fitzgerald’s role as defense attorney also sends a message that he understands the gravity of the situation. “I think that’s a statement that the rule of law is important,” Krent said.

Quigley said the case comes back to politics, and the President attempting to ruin the reputation of one of his political enemies. “I think it’s a real possibility the president’s using this to put an embarrassment upon him, a great cost upon him. But i also think this is to scare and intimidate,” he said.

Fitgerald, the corruption fighter who came to Chicago to clean up government now has a new role. Ironically, NBC 5’s then chief political editor, Carol Marin, asked him about the possibility he would ever imagine himself as a defense attorney on the day he announced was stepping down.

“Can you imagine me as a defense attorney?” Fitzgerald said before he started to laugh.

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The superintendent of the largest public school district in Iowa was arrested Friday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which alleged he was in the country illegally and without a work authorization.

Ian Andre Roberts, a Guyana national and superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, was arrested in an operation, ICE announced in a news release.

Roberts has helmed the district since July 2023, according to its website. It described him as a “career educator” with more than two decades of experience as a teacher, administrator and executive leader. He previously served as superintendent in two districts in Pennsylvania and Missouri.

Roberts worked as superintendent in Iowa despite not having legal status and despite having a “final order of removal and no work authorization,” the ICE news release said.

He had entered the U.S. in 1999 on a student visa, and was given a final order of removal by an immigration judge in May 2024, ICE said.

Roberts had existing weapon possession charges from Feb. 5, 2020, according to the release.

Agents approached Roberts on Friday in his vehicle after he identified himself, but he drove off, ICE said. The vehicle was later found near a wooded area, and Iowa State Patrol then assisted in the search for him Friday morning, and he was ultimately taken into custody, the release said.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety said it assisted ICE finding a person, identified as Roberts, who fled from a traffic stop.

At the time of his arrest he was found in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed blade hunting knife, ICE said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will handle the investigation into how Roberts acquired a handgun, ICE said, noting it’s against federal law for people in the United States without legal status to possess a firearm and ammunition.

“This suspect was arrested in possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle provided by Des Moines Public Schools after fleeing federal law enforcement,” Sam Olson, director of the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations St. Paul Field Office, said in a statement. “How this illegal alien was hired without work authorization, a final order of removal, and a prior weapons charge is beyond comprehension and should alarm the parents of that school district.”

It’s not immediately clear whether Roberts has retained an attorney.

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Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris confirmed that Roberts was detained by ICE agents Friday morning. At a news conference, she asked for the community to practice “radical empathy.”

The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners issued Roberts a license to serve as superintendent in the state in July 2023, Norris said.

He was identified as a candidate for the job in a search by an outside consulting company and underwent a third-party comprehensive background check, the district said in a Friday evening statement. He had also completed the I-9 employment eligibility verification form and submitted required documentation to work, it said.

Roberts had a previous firearm charge related to a hunting rifle, which he disclosed to the district board during the hiring process, the district said.

“He provided sufficient context and explanation of the situation to move forward in the hiring process. He has also spoken publicly about this experience,” the district said.

The district said that it did not have any knowledge of the 2024 removal order and that ICE did not notify the district about Roberts’ detainment before or after the fact.

Norris said that while the district does not have all the facts, she affirmed Roberts has been “an integral part of our school community” since he joined. She also noted that he’s held educational leadership positions in districts across the country for 20 years.

“We stand firm with our community, many of whom are feeling sad, outraged and helpless. We understand as we too are devastated by the news of his detainment,” interim Superintendent Matt Smith said at the news conference.

Roberts’ biography on the district’s website stated that he was chosen as superintendent following “an extensive nationwide search based on a leadership profile developed with input from the school board, teachers, families and others in the school community.”

It said he was born to immigrant parents from Guyana and spent most of his “formative years” in Brooklyn, New York.

“Dr. Roberts is married, and enjoys hunting, reading, and spending time with family and friends,” the biography said.

He earned his bachelor’s from Coppin State University, master’s degrees from St. John’s University and Georgetown University, and received his doctorate in urban educational leadership from Trident University. He also has several education certificates, including one from Harvard University, the biography said.

Separately, he was an Olympian, competing in track and field at the 2000 Games in Sydney, and in the World Championships in Maebashi, Japan and Seville, Spain, according to the website.

Matthew Mata contributed.

A young child was hit by a car outside of a day care in Southwest Philadelphia on Friday afternoon, according to the director of Lene’s Daily Child Care.

The director of the day care told NBC10 that the four year old boy was being picked up from the center at the intersection of South 65th Street and Elmwood Avenue when he was hit by a car outside around 3 p.m. on Sept. 26.

Léelo en español aquí

The boy was taken to a nearby hospital, the day care’s director explained. His condition is unknown.

The day care’s director told NBC10 that the incident happened in just second and everyone rushed outside when the heard the commotion.

“It’s like my child, you know? I work at this facility. I see the child every day, and I work with children every day,” Lene’s Daily Child Care director Elijah Sterling said. “Anytime something like this happens it can feel like a personal travesty.”

No word yet on what caused the crash or if anyone was arrested.

This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.