Maduro Says Venezuela Open to Talks with US on Drug Trafficking and Oil

According to Rokna, citing NBC, in an interview with Venezuela’s state television, Maduro emphasized that he is ready to engage in dialogue with the US “wherever they want and whenever they want.” He avoided directly answering a question regarding President Donald Trump’s claim that the US had struck a docking facility in Venezuela—a reported first operation inside the country conducted by the CIA.

For the past three months, US forces have been targeting vessels suspected of smuggling narcotics through the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific. According to US officials, over 30 such strikes have been carried out as part of the Trump administration’s so-called “war on drugs,” resulting in the deaths of more than 110 people since the first attack on a boat in international waters on 2 September.

The most recent strike occurred on Wednesday, when two vessels allegedly carrying drugs were targeted, killing five people onboard, according to the US military. On Monday, Trump stated that the US had attacked a “dock area” linked to alleged Venezuelan drug vessels, causing a “major explosion.” Reports from CNN and The New York Times indicate that the blast was carried out via a CIA drone strike. If verified, this would mark the first known US operation inside Venezuela.

Maduro remained non-committal regarding the attack, saying, “This could be a topic we might discuss in a few days.” In addition to drug trafficking, he indicated that he is open to discussions on oil and migration issues.

In recent months, Trump has prioritized combating the influx of drugs—particularly fentanyl and cocaine—into the US. He has also doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture and announced plans to designate the Maduro government as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

Maduro has firmly denied leading a drug cartel and accused the US of using its “war on drugs” as a pretext to overthrow his government and gain control over Venezuela’s extensive oil reserves. Experts on narcotics note that Venezuela plays a minor role in global drug trafficking, primarily acting as a transit country for drugs produced elsewhere. Neighboring Colombia remains the world’s largest cocaine producer, most of which is believed to enter the US via routes other than Venezuela.

Without offering evidence, Trump has accused Maduro of “emptying his prisons and psychiatric hospitals” and “forcing” inmates to migrate to the US. Nearly eight million Venezuelans are estimated to have fled the country’s economic crisis and political repression since 2013, with some heading to the US.

The US has also intensified actions against sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela. On 10 December, US forces seized a vessel reportedly used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran, which Caracas condemned as an act of “international piracy.” Since then, one additional tanker has been seized, and a third pursued.

The Trump administration has framed its operations against suspected drug vessels as non-international armed actions against traffickers, though legal experts suggest such strikes may violate international conflict laws. The US has not presented evidence confirming that the targeted boats were carrying drugs. However, the US Southern Command reiterated this week that “intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narcotics-trafficking routes and engaged in narco-trafficking."