President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Friday as relations between Washington and Caracas hit a new low.
During a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump was asked about reports that Maduro had offered “everything” including Venezuela’s natural resources in an attempt to ease tensions with the United States.
“He’s offered everything, you’re right,” Trump responded. “You know why? Because he doesn’t want to mess around with the United States.”
The remark came just as the administration faces mounting questions over reports that it has quietly authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela. According to The New York Times, the plan could allow U.S. intelligence agencies to take unilateral or joint military action targeting Maduro’s government.
When asked about the reports, Trump didn’t deny the authorization. Instead, he explained that the decision was motivated by two key issues: “They’ve emptied their prisons into the United States, and there are massive amounts of drugs coming in from Venezuela,” he said.
Trump added that the U.S. already controls the sea routes in the region and is now “certainly looking at land.”
The White House has yet to clarify whether the CIA has begun active operations, but tensions continue to rise after U.S. forces recently carried out strikes in the Caribbean targeting what the administration described as drug-trafficking boats. Officials confirmed that 27 people were killed and two survivors taken into U.S. custody.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that further details about the detainees will be released soon, though critics are calling for transparency and evidence to support the administration’s claims about drug trafficking.
Trump is also scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary in the coming weeks to discuss broader regional stability a meeting that could have implications for U.S. foreign policy toward both Ukraine and Venezuela.
As the situation develops, Washington’s strategy toward Maduro’s regime appears to be entering a new and more aggressive phase.
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