Trump signals possible talks with Maduro amid US military buildup near Venezuela

President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States “may be having some discussions” with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, signalling a potential diplomatic opening even as Washington deploys its most advanced aircraft carrier to the region.

Trump did not elaborate on any prospective talks but remarked that “Venezuela would like to talk.” Pressed further, he offered little clarity, saying: “What does it mean? You tell me, I don’t know.” Moments later, he added: “I’ll talk to anybody. We’ll see what happens.” Caracas has yet to respond to requests for comment.

The remarks came as the administration escalates pressure on Maduro through an expanded military presence, presented officially as part of a counter-narcotics campaign. The USS Gerald R. Ford strike group—comprising fighter squadrons, guided-missile destroyers and nearly 12,000 sailors and Marines—entered the Caribbean on Sunday, completing what the Navy described as the most significant concentration of U.S. firepower in the hemisphere in decades.

Rear Adm. Paul Lanzilotta, who commands the carrier strike group, said its deployment is intended to reinforce US efforts to “protect our nation’s security and prosperity against narco-terrorism in the Western Hemisphere.” Adm. Alvin Holsey, who oversees operations in the Caribbean and Latin America and is due to retire next month, called the move a “critical step” in countering transnational threats.

Since early September, U.S. forces have carried out 21 lethal strikes on small vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing at least 83 people. The latest strike, announced on Sunday by US Southern Command, destroyed a boat allegedly involved in drug smuggling in international waters of the eastern Pacific, killing three men. The military has yet to provide further details, and critics have questioned the administration’s justification for the attacks.

The U.S. buildup extends beyond naval operations. In Trinidad and Tobago—located just seven miles from Venezuela at its closest point—officials confirmed that joint training exercises with US Marines are under way, the second such operation in less than a month. Foreign Minister Sean Sobers said the exercises, aimed at tackling violent crime and drug trafficking routes, would continue through the week. Venezuela has denounced the drills as an act of aggression.

In a separate development, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said US forces have been training in Panama and that the military is reactivating its jungle warfare school there, underscoring Washington’s renewed focus on the region.

Despite the administration’s insistence that the deployment is aimed at curbing drug trafficking, it has provided no evidence supporting claims that those killed in maritime strikes were “narcoterrorists.” Trump has suggested operations may expand to land routes, saying the US would “stop the drugs coming in by land.”

Tensions are further heightened by the State Department’s move to designate the Cartel de los Soles—a network allegedly led by Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials—as a foreign terrorist organisation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the designation, effective 24 November, will make it a crime to provide “material support” to the group, which he accused of facilitating drug trafficking and terrorist violence.

Maduro, who faces US charges of narcoterrorism, accused Washington of “fabricating” a conflict and declared that Venezuelans stood ready to defend their homeland. His government has recently promoted a large-scale mobilisation of troops and civilians amid fears of potential US military action.

Political rallies have also been held across Venezuela in support of neighbourhood committees tasked with boosting membership in the ruling socialist party and advancing its agenda.

Trump, meanwhile, hinted on Friday that he has “sort of” reached a decision regarding Venezuela, though he declined to disclose details. Experts disagree over whether US aircraft could be used against land targets in Venezuela, but many view the Gerald R. Ford’s arrival as a strategic show of force intended to heighten pressure on Caracas.

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst for the Andes at the International Crisis Group, said the deployment signals a “return of US military power” to Latin America. “It has raised a lot of anxieties in Venezuela but also throughout the region,” she said. “Everyone is watching with bated breath to see how far the US is prepared to go.”

With agency inputs