Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said he is willing to engage in talks with the United States on drug trafficking, oil, and migration, signaling openness to dialogue after weeks of escalating pressure from Washington against his government.
Speaking in an interview with Venezuelan state television on Thursday, Maduro said he was prepared to meet U.S. officials “wherever they want and whenever they want,” even as relations between the two countries remain deeply strained.
Maduro’s comments come amid an intensifying U.S. campaign targeting alleged drug trafficking linked to Venezuela. Over the past three months, U.S. forces have struck vessels suspected of smuggling narcotics through the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, part of what the Trump administration has described as an expanded “war on drugs.”
According to U.S. officials, more than 30 such operations have been carried out since early September, resulting in over 110 deaths. The U.S. military said the most recent strike occurred on Wednesday, when two boats alleged to be carrying drugs were hit, killing five people on board.
On Monday, President Donald Trump said U.S. forces had also struck a “dock area” associated with Venezuelan drug boats, triggering a “major explosion.”
CNN and The New York Times, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that the blast was caused by a CIA drone strike. If confirmed, it would mark the first known U.S. operation conducted inside Venezuelan territory.
When asked during the interview to confirm or deny the reported attack on Venezuelan soil, Maduro declined to give a direct answer. “This could be something we talk about in a few days,” he said.
U.S. authorities have not publicly confirmed the operation. Russia made no comment, and the CIA does not typically acknowledge covert actions.
Beyond counternarcotics efforts, Maduro said potential talks could include Venezuela’s oil sector and migration, both long-standing points of contention between the two countries.
The Trump administration has stepped up enforcement against oil tankers carrying sanctioned Venezuelan crude. On December 10, U.S. forces seized an oil tanker near Venezuela, alleging it was used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. Venezuelan officials described the seizure as an act of “international piracy.”
Since then, U.S. authorities have seized another tanker and pursued a third, further tightening restrictions on Venezuela’s oil exports.
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Trump has also doubled the U.S. reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture and announced plans to designate his government as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Without providing evidence, Trump has accused Maduro of leading a cartel and of forcing prisoners and psychiatric patients to migrate to the United States.
Maduro has strongly rejected the accusations, saying Washington is using drug enforcement as a pretext to undermine his government and gain access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
Counternarcotics experts note that Venezuela is generally considered a transit country rather than a major producer of illicit drugs. Colombia, its neighbor, remains the world’s largest cocaine producer, with most shipments entering the United States through routes that bypass Venezuela, according to regional security analysts.
The Trump administration has framed its maritime operations as a non-international armed conflict against alleged traffickers. However, some legal experts argue the strikes may violate international law, particularly because Washington has not publicly presented evidence that the targeted vessels were carrying narcotics.
U.S. Southern Command reiterated this week that intelligence confirmed the boats were operating along known trafficking routes and were engaged in drug smuggling.