U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly demanded that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro resign immediately, offering safe passage for him and his family if he complied, according to the Miami Herald.
The discussion took place as the Trump administration signals it is gearing up for a more aggressive campaign against Venezuela’s so-called Cartel de los Soles, which U.S. authorities allege is led by Maduro and other senior regime figures.
Maduro reportedly refused the U.S. offer and countered with demands for global immunity and control of the armed forces, which Washington reportedly rejected.
Since then, no further communication has been reported, despite Maduro requesting a follow-up call after Trump announced the closure of Venezuelan airspace on Saturday.
Trump said Thursday that U.S. land-based operations against Venezuelan drug traffickers will begin “very soon.”
“In recent weeks, you’ve been working to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers, of which there are many. Of course, there aren’t too many coming in by sea anymore,” Trump said. “You probably noticed that people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also,” the president continued.
Since September, the U.S. military has conducted at least 19 strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and along Latin America’s Pacific coast, resulting in the deaths of at least 76 people.
