U.S. President Donald Trump signaled a willingness to speak directly with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro while not ruling out the possibility of military action against Venezuela. Trump had earlier called Maduro a "dictator."
On the 17th (local time), Trump told reporters at an event with the 2026 FIFA World Cup task force, "I would probably talk to him (President Maduro)," adding, "I talk to everybody."
However, when asked whether he rules out the possibility of deploying U.S. ground forces to Venezuela, Trump said, "No. I don't rule that out," adding, "I don't rule out anything." The stance contrasts with his previously firm line against sending U.S. ground troops to conflicts such as the war in Ukraine and the Gaza war.
He went on, "We have to resolve the Venezuela issue," emphasizing, "Maduro has inflicted enormous damage on Korea. Along with the drug problem, the influx of prisoners is a disaster."
The previous day, Trump raised military tensions by deploying a carrier strike group centered on the world's most powerful aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the Caribbean Sea north of Venezuela.
In addition, he foreshadowed designating the Venezuela-based transnational criminal organization "Cartel delos Soles (Cartel of the Suns)" as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) and pointed to the Maduro administration as the organization's leader, prompting speculation that he appeared to be preparing a pretext for military strikes.
Trump also suggested not only a mission to sink "suspected drug vessels" at sea to block the flow of drugs into the United States, but the possibility of strikes against drug cartels on the Mexican and Colombian mainland.
He said, "I know all the information about the Central and South American drug cartels," adding, "I will seek congressional authorization for attacks on Mexico and Colombia."