President Donald Trump said Sunday that Venezuelan President NicolƔs Maduro has expressed interest in engaging in talks with the U.S., while stressing that no land-based military strikes are planned or authorized.
According to Fox News, while speaking with reporters before boarding Air Force One in West Palm Beach, Trump said a recent U.S. designation of a Venezuelan-linked cartel gives the government the legal authority to target Maduroās assets or infrastructure if necessary.
āIt allows US to do that,ā Trump said. āBut we havenāt said weāre going to do thatā¦we may be having some discussions with Maduro, and weāll see how that turns out. They would like to talk.ā
Trump emphasized that communication with Congress is intended to keep lawmakers informed, not to seek approval for action. He said officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have been directed to meet with Congress to convey that the U.S. will not allow narcotics to flow through Venezuela or Mexico.
āWe like to keep Congress involved,ā he said. āI mean, weāre stopping drug dealers and drugs from coming into our country.ā
The president also warned against leaking sensitive details about U.S. operations, noting that releasing classified information could endanger American lives. āThe only thing I donāt want them to do is leak information thatās very important and confidential,ā he said.
Trump framed U.S. efforts toward Venezuela as part of a broader campaign against narcotics and illegal immigration. He accused Maduro of sending violent prisoners into the U.S., adding that his administration is actively removing them.
āYeah, we have great support because itās all about drugs,ā Trump said. āWell, in Venezuelaās case, itās about drugs, and itās also about thousands, hundreds of thousands, of people that theyāve released into our country.ā
He sharply criticized the Biden administration, claiming it created a historic border crisis. āOur country is doing so well,ā Trump said. āBut what the Biden administration did to our country should never be forgottenā¦to allow 20 or 25 million people to pour into our country, people from prisons, drug dealers, mental institutions, bad people, gang membersā¦totally unchecked and unvetted, should never be forgotten.ā
Trumpās remarks underscore a dual approach: keeping the door open for negotiations with Maduro while maintaining pressure through U.S. law enforcement and sanctions.
