Trump Plans Direct Talk With Maduro as U.S. Strikes Hammer Drug Routes
President Donald Trump is reportedly planning a direct conversation with Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, signaling a potential diplomatic opening even as U.S. military operations continue targeting drug-trafficking networks tied to Maduro’s regime.
According to sources cited by Axios, Trump has expressed interest in speaking with Maduro “at some point,” as part of a broader strategy that mixes diplomatic pressure with kinetic strikes. The potential call would come amid the ongoing U.S. campaign, Operation Southern Spear, which has destroyed at least 21 narco-vessels off Venezuela’s coast and killed 83 suspected traffickers so far.
The Trump administration formally designated Maduro’s Cartel de Los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on Monday, alongside a statement in the Federal Register. The cartel, long tied to military and political elites in Venezuela, has been accused of using state resources to ship cocaine and other narcotics through the Caribbean to the United States and Europe.
White House: Drug War First, Regime Change Possible
“We’re going to blow up boats shipping drugs. We’re going to stop the drug trafficking,” one senior official said, clarifying that the strikes are part of a strategy to dismantle trafficking infrastructure and pressure Maduro’s regime—not to assassinate him.
“Nobody is planning to go in and shoot him or snatch him — at this point. I wouldn’t say never, but that’s not the plan right now,” the official told Axios.
Another White House aide described the approach as “covert and controlled,” adding, “If Maduro leaves, we would not shed a tear.”
While the Trump team isn’t revealing exact terms of a proposed discussion with Maduro, one senior U.S. diplomat noted that Maduro has a track record of empty promises. “The diplomats tell us that Maduro is going to say, ‘Trust me. I’ll have new elections in three years. You can come and have all the oil. I’ll stop sending it to Russia.’ He has said many things like that over many years and he never keeps his promise,” the source said.
Trump’s Dual Approach: Pressure and Possibility
The overt military pressure and behind-the-scenes diplomatic maneuvering represent a dual-track strategy. While Trump has branded Maduro a “narcoterrorist,” the president reportedly wants to test whether direct engagement could open a path toward regime change—or at minimum, shift Venezuela’s posture on drug routes and oil exports.
For now, the conversation remains in the “planning stages,” according to officials. But the message from Trump’s inner circle is clear: “Always lead with that word [narcoterrorist] if you want to represent the president’s thinking.”
Operation Southern Spear continues to expand, with additional deployments expected in the region. At the same time, a possible phone call between Trump and Maduro could signal a new chapter in America’s approach to the Western Hemisphere’s most entrenched dictatorship.