Venezuela's drug-dealing, election-stealing dictator, Nicolas Maduro, isn't seeing his problems going away any time soon.

The drug boats associated with his regime are continuing to get blown up by the U.S. Navy.

The latest news is that the U.S. intends to take over ports and airfields -- both of which are used to ship drugs to the U.S. and Europe.

???????? ???????? U.S. MILITARY BUILDUP NEAR VENEZUELA LOOKS BEYOND DRUG PATROLS

Washington Examiner reports the deployment of warships, F-35s, Marines, and a submarine in Puerto Rico goes far past counter-narcotics.

Analysts warn the posture aligns more with seizing ports and airfields,… https://t.co/oT0W9ZCN6g pic.twitter.com/HojaWORcjf

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 3, 2025

U.S. military jets have reportedly buzzed the western city of Maracaibo, where China has a floating oil production facility.

????????????????‼️ | ÚLTIMA HORA — El Comando Sur de EE.UU. publica video de Marines cargando armamento en cazas F-35B en el Caribe, como parte del despliegue contra el narco-terrorismo de Nicolás Maduro y su pandilla, bajo órdenes del Presidente Trump. pic.twitter.com/qg0ebWPaTo

— UHN Plus (@UHN_Plus) October 3, 2025

He's encircling him:

????Ya no hay duda: el verdadero objetivo de Estados Unidos en Venezuela es sacar a Nicolás Maduro del poder, por las buenas o por las malas.
Washington ha sido claro: no reconocerá más negociaciones vacías ni falsas elecciones.
El régimen está acorralado, sus aliados debilitados y… pic.twitter.com/f3CSMO0B20

— freddyzur (@freddyzur) October 5, 2025

Maduro has called out his air defenses.

????????????In response to the incident with the US fighter jets and the general escalation, Venezuela has deployed additional air defense (AVO) systems in the north of the country, especially along the Caribbean coast and around Caracas.

Among them are: S-125 Pechora-2M: Mobile systems… pic.twitter.com/LZPGezNjTv

— ????geopolitics in the picture (@geogeolite) October 4, 2025

But like everything else in his country, his own military is in shambles:

????????????El Libertador: High-Res Imagery Shows Venezuelan Air Force Readiness Lags

First off, huge thank you to @LatinMilAv for the analysis. If you don't follow him, you should!

A fresh look at El Libertador Air Base, Venezuela (Sept 30), confirms a state of notable stagnation.… pic.twitter.com/KuRes9WIEv

— MT Anderson (@MT_Anderson) October 3, 2025

  He's pleading with the pope to make peace with Trump:

????????Maduro pide “apoyo especial” al papa León XIV… justo cuando Trump lo tiene contra las cuerdas en el Caribe. pic.twitter.com/Qnsf65nIAo

— Mónica Saade (@MonicaSaadeX) October 6, 2025

I can't speak for Pope Leo, but it would be odd for the pope to bail Maduro out at this point, given that the pope made a speech over the weekend about the pitifulness of migrants fleeing persecution and poverty in their homelands and the importance of the West to welcome them.

Would the pope really bail out the leader who has driven nine million Venezuelans from their homeland, making them refugees?

If he did, he'd take a lot of criticism, to say the least.

His only other potential source of help is Gustavo Petro, the reportedly coke-snorting, communist, clown-president of Colombia, who was last seen getting thrown out of the U.S. for calling for a U.S. military rebellion. He has since tweeted that he likes to get naked:

President Gustavo Petro on a quoted tweet "But I like to get naked". pic.twitter.com/CXXIU19rdl

— Crazy Ass Moments in LatAm Politics (@AssLatam) October 6, 2025

Maduro's more substantial ally, President Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva, has reportedly had a good meeting with Trump's secretary of state, Marco Rubio. That can't be good for Maduro.

Maduro's other response is striking back in the way he knows best: Through Chavista-style thuggery. He's threatening to attack the U.S. Embassy in Caracas.

#Venezuela: @NicolasMaduro regime negotiator Jorge Rodriguez @jorgepsuv has threatened an attack on the US Embassy in Caracas, claiming preposterously it could be a "false flag operation."

Maduro should tread very carefully in threatening the US Embassy.https://t.co/nHveGrUFsa pic.twitter.com/d4ckVJHzaR

— Ryan Berg, PhD (@RyanBergPhD) October 6, 2025

... which sounds like FAFO territory.

Forecast: Maduro is over a barrel and it's only going to get worse for him. He's fighting back now like a cornered rat. This won't end well for him.

Image: X video screen shot