Trump Signals Potential Dialog with Venezuela’s Maduro Amid Escalating Drug trafficking Accusations
PALM BEACH, FL – Former President Donald Trump has indicated a willingness to engage in conversations with Venezuelan President nicolás Maduro, stating, “It is possible that we are having conversations with Maduro. We will see how it turns out.” The revelation comes as U.S. pressure on Venezuela intensifies over allegations of Maduro’s involvement in drug trafficking and “narcoterrorism,” prompting a controversial U.S. military campaign in the Caribbean sea and Eastern Pacific.
The potential for dialogue marks a shift in approach, even as the U.S. government has been actively seeking Maduro’s removal. This escalation began last summer with a $50 million reward offered for details leading to Maduro’s arrest, based on accusations he leads “The Cartel of the suns,” a plot allegedly linking him to powerful criminal organizations in Mexico and Colombia. The situation is further complicated by recent U.S. sanctions against Colombian President Gustavo Petro, accused of being an ally of the Venezuelan regime and linked to the same alleged drug trafficking network.
As August, the U.S. military has conducted a campaign of attacks against vessels suspected of carrying drugs near Venezuela and Colombia, bombing 21 boats and resulting in 83 deaths. U.S. authorities have yet to publicly provide evidence linking these vessels directly to drug cartels. The Treasury Department’s inclusion of President Petro on it’s OFAC sanctions list further underscores the broadening scope of the U.S. crackdown.
Trump made the comments while at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, adding he had “more or less made a decision” regarding next steps in Venezuela, but declined to elaborate. The situation raises questions about the future of U.S. policy toward Venezuela and the potential for a negotiated resolution to the ongoing political and economic crisis.