US policy toward Venezuela centers on sanctions and diplomatic pressure rather than military action, following the disputed July 28 presidential election where the opposition claims victory and Washington recognizes Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate winner. Recent developments include new US Treasury sanctions in late October 2024 targeting 11 Maduro-aligned officials for election fraud and human rights abuses, alongside State Department condemnations of opposition arrests. No indications of troop deployments, White House rhetoric, or congressional authorizations signal invasion preparations. Tensions over the Essequibo border dispute with Guyana continue, but are channeled through International Court of Justice proceedings with US backing for Guyana's sovereignty. A potential incoming Trump administration may intensify hawkishness, yet commitments in Ukraine, the Middle East, and domestic fiscal constraints pose significant barriers.