President Donald Trump said Sunday that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is seeking discussions with the United States as tensions rise between the two countries. Trump emphasized, however, that he has not planned or authorized any land-based military strikes against Venezuela.
Speaking with reporters before boarding Air Force One in West Palm Beach, Trump said the recent U.S. designation of a Venezuelan-linked cartel gives his administration authority to target Maduro’s assets or infrastructure. He noted that while such actions are possible, no decisions have been made.
“It allows us to do that,” Trump said. “But we haven’t said we’re going to do that… we may be having some discussions with Maduro, and we’ll see how that turns out. They would like to talk.”
Trump said the administration is keeping Congress informed about efforts to disrupt drug trafficking through Venezuela and Mexico, but insisted he does not need lawmakers’ approval to act. He described the communication as informational rather than a request for authorization.
“We like to keep Congress involved,” he said. “I mean, we’re stopping drug dealers and drugs from coming into our country.”
He also warned lawmakers not to leak sensitive details that could jeopardize U.S. personnel.
“The only thing I don’t want them to do is leak information that’s very important and confidential,” he said. “And they put our military at risk or whoever is doing, you know, CIA, military, etc.”
Trump said several countries support U.S. efforts to pressure Venezuela, framing the campaign as part of a broader fight against narcotics and illegal immigration. He accused the Maduro government of releasing violent prisoners into the United States and said his administration is in the process of removing them.
“Yeah, we have great support because it’s all about drugs,” he said. “Well, in Venezuela’s case, it’s about drugs, and it’s also about thousands, hundreds of thousands, of people that they’ve released into our country.”
He added that the Biden administration is responsible for what he called a historic border crisis, citing the influx of migrants under the previous administration.
“Our country is doing so well,” Trump said. “But what the Biden administration did to our country should never be forgotten.”
“The single worst thing they did is allow 20 or 25 million people to pour into our country,” he continued. “People from prisons, drug dealers, mental institutions, bad people, gang members — to allow that to happen to the United States, totally unchecked and unvetted, should never be forgotten.”
