While the U.S. rhetoric often focuses on combating drug trafficking,  the reality is that the reality is Venezuela is not a primary source of drugs entering the United States, said Sun Suntaiyi, associate professor of political science at Christopher Newport University in the United States.

Instead, these claims serve as a powerful domestic justification for broader intervention, Sun said.

Similarly, any military or political action in Latin America is now being strategically packaged as a measure to curb illegal migration, Sun said, adding that, however, the true geopolitical target remains the left-wing governments of the region—specifically Venezuela and Cuba.

Besides, the new U.S. National Security Strategy has shifted its primary focus back to the Western Hemisphere, viewing Venezuela as a primary obstacle in America's "backyard" that must be neutralized, Sun said.