India, Jan. 3 -- The latest US strikes on Venezuelan targets mark a dramatic escalation in a long-running confrontation. While Washington frames its actions around drug trafficking and security threats, the deeper conflict revolves around power, resources, and political control. At its core, the Trump administration's endgame appears clear, and that is to force regime change in Caracas.

To understand why these strikes happened now, it is essential to examine three interlinked factors, which involved drug trafficking accusations, pressure tactics against President Nicolas Maduro, and Venezuela's vast oil reserves.

The Trump administration has repeatedly accused Venezuela of functioning as a "narco-state," and US officials claim that seni...