U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that talks may take place with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro amid heightened tensions in the Caribbean following the high-profile U.S. military presence, Mehr news agency reported, citing a report on Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen TV English website. Trump told reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington, D.C., “We may have some discussions with President Maduro, but we’ll see what the outcome is…They want to have a conversation.”
His remarks came on the heels of the decision to designate the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). President Trump said the move would allow the U.S. government to target infrastructure and assets linked to President Maduro’s regime, which it accuses of leading criminal networks. President Trump clarified: “That’s possible, but I’m not saying we’re going to do it.”
He added that he has directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials to brief Congress on efforts to combat drug trafficking. “I want you to go to Congress and tell them we’re not allowing drugs to come through Mexico or through Venezuela,” he said, adding, “The only thing we don’t want them to do is leak information.”
MNA