US President Donald Trump said Monday that he is willing to speak with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and would be “OK” with US counter-drug strikes inside Mexico.
Titansloaded reports Donald Trump made the remarks while addressing questions on Washington’s growing military presence in the Caribbean, a buildup he says targets drug traffickers operating from Venezuela, Mexico and other Latin American nations.
Trump told reporters he expects to speak with Maduro “at a certain period of time,” though he stressed that the Venezuelan president “has not been good to the United States.” When pressed on whether he would rule out deploying US troops in Venezuela, he responded, “I don’t rule out anything,” insisting the US must “take care of Venezuela.”
Hours later, Maduro said on his weekly TV program that he is ready for “face-to-face” talks with any US official willing to engage with Venezuela.
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Meanwhile, US Marines are conducting joint exercises in Trinidad and Tobago — the second round in less than a month — raising concerns due to the island’s proximity to Venezuela.
However, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar clarified that the US has never requested to use Trinidad and Tobago for attacks, stressing the nation would not support any action that harms the Venezuelan people and urging dialogue instead.
The Venezuelan government has repeatedly accused Washington of pursuing regime change through an expanded military deployment of warships, jets and an aircraft carrier group. The US, in turn, alleges Maduro leads a “terrorist” drug cartel, a charge he denies.
According to AFP’s tally, since September, US forces have killed at least 83 people in air strikes on boats suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific — though Washington has provided no evidence confirming the targets were traffickers.
Trump also hardened his stance on Mexico, accusing it of failing to curb drug cartels. When asked if he would approve US strikes inside Mexico, he said: “It’s OK with me… Whatever we have to do to stop drugs.”
Though he added he is not currently planning such actions, Trump said he “would be proud to do it” if it meant saving “millions of lives.”
Since August, the United States has maintained a large military presence in the Caribbean, including multiple warships, officially aimed at stopping drug shipments entering the country.
