President Donald Trump said yesterday his administration “may be having discussions” with Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro as the US military presence near Venezuela significantly expands.
A report in The Atlantic earlier this month suggested Maduro might consider a managed exit if the United States offered amnesty for him and his top lieutenants, among other conditions.
But there is little indication Maduro is prepared to relinquish power.
Venezuela’s security apparatus remains firmly aligned with Maduro for now, with no signs senior commanders would stand aside, as opposition leaders have urged in recent days.
The Venezuelan military has been bought off with narcotrafficking proceeds and is honeycombed with Cuban intelligence agents.
The regime has come under pressure as the US military conducts lethal strikes against suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Pacific.
Since September, US forces have carried out at least 16 attacks, killing more than 76 people the administration labeled “narco-terrorists.” Most of the boats have been struck near Venezuelan territorial waters.
The attacks are unprecedented.
Traditionally, the US Coast Guard or Drug Enforcement Agency have intercepted and boarded suspected narco-trafficking boats, seizing contraband and detaining suspects.
It is unclear what Trump has in mind.
His administration has accused Maduro of leading the Cartel of the Suns, a murky entity involving Venezuelan security commanders who facilitate drug trafficking and other criminal activity.
Yesterday it labeled the Cartel of the Suns a foreign terrorist organization, which Trump indicated could provide legal authority for the US military to strike land assets linked to it.
In July, the administration doubled to $50 million its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest.
Trump has alternated between denying he plans to attack Venezuela to suggesting that a “new phase” of his counternarcotics campaign could include land operations.
He has acknowledged authorizing covert CIA operations and replied yes when asked if Maduro’s days were numbered.
Yesterday, his administration designated the Cartel of the Suns a foreign terrorist organization.
Trump indicated that the designation could provide legal authority for the US military to strike land assets linked to the cartel.
Senior US officials met three times at the White House last week to examine options for potential operations inside Venezuela.
Last week, documents leaked to the press showed the Maduro regime was preparing for a possible US military land operation, dispersing forces and weapons nationwide rather than preparing for direct combat.
The Maduro regime has a history of arresting Americans and foreigners arbitrarily for use as bargaining chips.
This service long has advised against travel to Venezuela.
