Understanding U.S. Action in Venezuela

Please join Perry World House for a timely conversation examining the U.S. government policy and actions toward Venezuela, including strikes on boats in the waters around Venezuela allegedly smuggling drugs, and the people on board.

Over the recent weeks, Venezuela has surged back into global headlines amid escalating geopolitical tensions. The United States has conducted military strikes against purported Venezuelan boats in international waters, raising questions about the legality of the Trump administration’s actions. Our panel will explore why the United States has chosen to act now, what strategic objectives are shaping current policy, and how these decisions are being interpreted across Latin America and beyond. As the situation on the ground continues to shift, experts will assess potential endgames for U.S.–Venezuela relations, and the international law implications.

Samantha Vinograd leads Brunswick’s U.S. geopolitical practice. She has served under three bipartisan Administrations and in several key private sector roles.

Most recently, she served as the Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism, Threat Prevention, and Law Enforcement Policy at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security where she developed, implemented and evaluated policies to identify and mitigate risks to the U.S. Prior to joining the Biden Administration, Samantha led global public policy at Stripe and worked for Goldman Sachs where she focused on building public-private sector partnerships. Samantha began her career in Baghdad under President Bush working for the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and she subsequently served on President Obama’s National Security Council as the Director for Iraq, Director for International Economics and Energy and as the Senior Advisor to the National Security Advisor. She is a CBS News contributor, a Senior Advisor at the Biden Institute, and a Trustee at Save the Children US.

She is fluent in French and studied advanced Arabic and Hebrew. She received her BA in Asian and Middle Eastern studies from the University of Pennsylvania and her MA in security studies from Georgetown University.

William Burke-White is a professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey Law School. Burke-White, an international lawyer and political scientist, is a leading expert on US foreign policy, multilateral institutions, and international law. He researches and writes on the relationships between law and politics in international affairs and has particular expertise on the design and implementation of complex global governance solutions that involve multiple countries, international institutions, and multilateral legal regimes. He has significant regional expertise on Russia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. His current research examines the role of sub-state actors in the international legal system and the impacts of changing global power dynamics on the norms and structures of international law. Professor Burke-White served as the Inaugural Director of Perry World House from 2014 to 2019. He holds both bachelor’s and law degrees from Harvard University, and a doctorate in international relations from the University of Cambridge, where he was a Fulbright Scholar.

Michael C. Horowitz is Director of Perry World House and Richard Perry Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also Senior Fellow in Innovation and Technology at the Council on Foreign Relations. From 2022 to 2024, Professor Horowitz served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Development and Emerging Capabilities. He is the author of The Diffusion of Military Power: Causes and Consequences for International Politics, and the co-author of Why Leaders Fight. He won the Karl Deutsch Award given by the International Studies Association for early career contributions to the fields of international relations and peace research. He has published in a wide array of peer reviewed journals and popular outlets. His research interests include the intersection of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics with global politics, military innovation, the role of leaders in international politics, and geopolitical forecasting methodology. Professor Horowitz worked for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy as a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow. He is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. Professor Horowitz received his Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University and his B.A. in political science from Emory University.

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