(DCNF)—Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro has put himself directly in the crosshairs of the Trump administration, but war remains unlikely at this point in time, foreign policy experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has taken multiple steps to ramp up pressure on Maduro’s regime, including flying strategic bombers off Venezuela’s coast and reportedly authorizing the CIA to conduct covert operations in the nation. These moves, which on the surface look like open provocations to a potential future conflict, seek to pressure the regime in much the same way Trump did during his first term, experts told the DCNF.
“I don’t see an intervention on the horizon,” Daniel Batlle, Latin America and Caribbean expert and fellow at the Hudson Institute, told the DCNF. “I don’t think that the U.S. has laid the groundwork for Panama-style intervention in Venezuela. I think what the administration is trying to do is send a signal to the regime that is intended to keep it on the defensive, but it [also] wants to have options for pressuring Maduro.”
Maduro reportedly offered the Trump administration a majority stake in Venezuela’s oil and mineral assets during months of informal talks, according to the New York Times. The offer went nowhere, however, and was effectively killed when President Trump severed all diplomatic contact with the dictator on Oct. 2.
President Donald Trump said October 17 that Maduro did not want to “fuck around with the United States” and that he had “offered everything.”
Venezuela plays host to multiple drug cartels, such as Tren de Aragua, which originated from a brutal prison in Venezuela and made its way to American shores under the Biden administration. The U.S. has accused Maduro of being deeply involved in the operations of the Cartel de los Soles, which was one of the initial reasons given for sanctions and deployments to the southern Caribbean.
Trump’s strikes in the Caribbean and the Pacific have had the double effect of pressuring Venezuela while also stopping drugs from moving onto U.S. shores. However, cartels are now making changes to their playbook in order to circumvent the new military presence, hiding cargo on civilian ships and using plane drops to evade U.S. Navy fleets.
“They are weakest at sea and reliant on moving cargo that way. That’s not to say the Cartels won’t try to adapt. They did before during changes in interdiction methods years ago,” Brent Sadler, senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told the DCNF. “This campaign will take time and is a function of how prepared to weather the attacks the Cartels are and how long/effective the interdictions of their shipments remain.”
The military deployments have not merely been to deter cartels from shipping product by sea. The U.S. has also dispatched multiple bombers to patrol off the shores of Venezuela as a “show of force” towards Maduro.
B-52 Stratofortress long-range bombers out of Louisiana patrolled off the Venezuelan coast earlier this month, and on Thursday, B-1 Lancer strategic long-range bombers took off from Texas flew close to the nation’s coast in international airspace.
Despite the build-up, Batlle still thinks it unlikely that a full-scale war is imminent, since such a move would require far more assets than are currently at the ready.
“The military assets we have in the Caribbean are much more robust than what you need to do, to strike drug boats,” Batlle told the DCNF. “But to go from there to saying that we have the forces needed for an intervention in Venezuela I think is a stretch.”
Adding to those assets, the Pentagon on Friday authorized deployment of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and its embarked carrier air wing to the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility (AOR), which encompasses most of Central and South America and adjacent waters, including the Caribbean and Gulf of America.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt deferred to Trump’s comments when asked by the Daily Caller whether regime change in Venezuela is an end goal of the ongoing campaign against the cartels.
Daily Caller’s @reaganreese_: “I’m wondering if the end goal of this narco-terrorist war is to implement a regime change in Venezuela?” @PressSec ‘s response 👇 pic.twitter.com/R6JMBLBpJU
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 23, 2025
“President Trump has been clear about his priority to stop the scourge of narcoterrorism that has resulted in the needless deaths of innocent Americans,” a senior administration official told the DCNF. “As the President clearly stated, he has not had any discussions on regime change.”
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.