US President Donald Trump said Friday that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro had offered significant concessions to ease tensions with Washington, while confirming a new US strike on a drug-smuggling vessel that reportedly left survivors.
Washington accuses Maduro of leading a major drug cartel and has deployed extensive military assets — including stealth warplanes and seven Navy ships — as part of its counter-narcotics operations in the region.
Maduro, an authoritarian socialist accused of rigging elections last year, insists Washington is plotting to overthrow his government. Asked at the White House about reports of de-escalation talks from Caracas, Trump responded sharply:
“He has offered everything, you’re right. You know why? Because he doesn’t want to mess around with the United States.”
Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez denied a Miami Herald report claiming she had negotiated with Washington to remove Maduro.
The US has conducted at least six strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels — mostly high-speed boats — in an unprecedented campaign across the Caribbean since September. The latest attack reportedly left survivors who are now in US Navy custody, according to media reports citing unnamed US officials.
Trump described the target as a “drug-carrying submarine built specifically for transporting massive quantities of narcotics.” These semi-submersible crafts, often constructed in remote jungle shipyards, have long been used to move cocaine from South America to Central America and Mexico.
While Washington claims the campaign is crippling drug trafficking operations, it has yet to provide evidence that the 27 people reportedly killed in these strikes were involved in smuggling. Legal experts have warned that such actions could constitute unlawful killings, even if aimed at traffickers.
The operations have also affected regional neighbors. Authorities in Trinidad and Tobago are investigating whether two of their citizens were killed in a recent strike, while Colombian President Gustavo Petro said some Colombians may also be among the dead.
A defiant Trump announced plans to expand operations against Venezuela, hinting at covert CIA missions and potential land-based strikes. Earlier this week, US B-52 bombers were tracked circling over the Caribbean near Venezuela’s coast in a show of force.
In response, Venezuela has deployed 17,000 troops to Tachira state, bordering Colombia, and reinforced military presence in Amazonas and along the country’s coastline.
Meanwhile, the head of US Southern Command — overseeing the naval operations — announced his resignation after just one year in office, amid a wave of senior military shakeups.
