Trump hints at possible talks with Maduro as US expands military campaign in Caribbean
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Washington may soon open discussions with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, even as the US expands its military presence and counter-narcotics operations across the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
Speaking to reporters in West Palm Beach before boarding Air Force One, Trump said Maduro’s government had expressed interest in dialogue. “We may be having some discussions with Maduro, and we’ll see how that turns out… They would like to talk,” he remarked, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
His comments came shortly after the US moved to designate the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Trump said the designation would give Washington the authority to target assets and infrastructure linked to the network, which he accuses Maduro of leading. “It allows us to do that, but we haven’t said we’re going to do that,” he added.
Trump also said he instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials to brief Congress on efforts to curb narcotics trafficking, emphasizing that the administration is determined to stop drug flows from both Mexico and Venezuela. “Go to Congress and let them know we’re not letting drugs come through Mexico, we’re not letting them come through Venezuela,” he said, while cautioning officials not to leak information.
Earlier this year, several Mexican cartels were also designated as foreign terrorist organizations, giving US intelligence agencies broader legal authority to conduct covert operations.
Meanwhile, US military operations have intensified in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Washington has carried out multiple strikes on vessels it claims are linked to drug trafficking. The Pentagon has also deployed Marines, warships, submarines, drones, and fighter and bomber jets across the region. The USS Gerald Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has reportedly arrived in the Caribbean as part of the expanded mission.
According to US Southern Command, the buildup follows a directive from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth aimed at dismantling criminal networks deemed a threat to US security. The current campaign began in September with a strike on a Venezuelan speedboat and widened to the Eastern Pacific by late October.
Since the start of the operation, at least 21 attacks have been carried out against alleged drug-trafficking targets, resulting in 82 deaths.
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