Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced he is ready to open negotiations with the United States at any time after facing intense pressure from Donald Trump's administration's "drug war" operations that have escalated into military attacks on ships and ports, resulting in over 110 deaths. Meanwhile, U.S. media revealed that the CIA has conducted a drone strike on a warehouse in Venezuela for the first time.
President Nicolás Maduro told Venezuelan government television that he is prepared to open talks with the United States on issues including drug suppression, energy, and migration "anywhere and anytime the U.S. wants." However, Maduro declined to answer questions about President Donald Trump's claim that the U.S. ordered an attack on a Venezuelan port, saying only that "this matter might be discussed in the coming days."
Over the past three months, the U.S. military under Trump's orders has intensified crackdowns on vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, conducting more than 30 attacks that have resulted in over 110 deaths since the operation began on 2 September. On Wednesday (31 Dec), the U.S. struck two vessels believed to be carrying drugs, killing five people on board.
The most contentious issue is Trump's claim that the U.S. attacked a "port area" linked to drug trafficking in Venezuela causing a major explosion. CNN and The New York Times reported, citing sources, that the strike involved a "drone attack by the CIA." If confirmed, this would mark the first U.S. military operation inside Venezuelan territory.
Beyond drug trafficking, the U.S. has also stepped up enforcement against oil tankers violating sanctions, having seized at least two vessels. Venezuela condemned these actions as "international piracy." At the same time, Trump accused without evidence that Maduro deliberately released prisoners and mentally ill individuals to migrate to the U.S.
Although the U.S. insists all attacks are based on intelligence confirming drug trafficking routes, legal experts have begun warning that this "drug war" operation may violate international law, as the U.S. has yet to present clear evidence that the targeted vessels were indeed carrying drugs.
. BBC