President Donald Trump said Sunday that Venezuelan President Nicolás 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 Maduro’s assets or infrastructure if necessary.
“It allows us to do that,” Trump said. “But we haven’t said we’re going to do that…we may be having some discussions with Maduro, and we’ll see how that turns out. They would like to talk.”
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.
“We like to keep Congress involved,” he said. “I mean, we’re stopping drug dealers and drugs from coming into our country.”
The president also warned against leaking sensitive details about U.S. operations, noting that releasing classified information could endanger American lives. “The only thing I don’t want them to do is leak information that’s very important and confidential,” 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.
“Yeah, we have great support because it’s all about drugs,” Trump said. “Well, in Venezuela’s case, it’s about drugs, and it’s also about thousands, hundreds of thousands, of people that they’ve released into our country.”
He sharply criticized the Biden administration, claiming it created a historic border crisis. “Our country is doing so well,” Trump said. “But what the Biden administration did to our country should never be forgotten…to allow 20 or 25 million people to pour into our country, people from prisons, drug dealers, mental institutions, bad people, gang members…totally unchecked and unvetted, should never be forgotten.”
Trump’s remarks underscore a dual approach: keeping the door open for negotiations with Maduro while maintaining pressure through U.S. law enforcement and sanctions.
