Washington: US President Donald Trump has called off diplomatic efforts with Venezuela, instructing his special envoy Richard Grenell to halt all outreach.
This decision follows a series of US military strikes on vessels carrying drugs near Venezuelan waters, as Trump described the situation as a non-international armed conflict with drug cartels.
The US official confirmed that while Trump is considering further military action inside Venezuela, no decision has been made on advancing the campaign to a second phase. The president communicated his directive to Grenell during a meeting in the Oval Office last October 2, which also included senior military leaders.
Trump has told US service members that strikes on vessels off Venezuela’s coast have successfully reduced the flow of drugs by sea and that the US will now begin monitoring potential threats by land. The White House has not released additional details on upcoming operations.
Tensions between Washington and Caracas have escalated since Trump’s return to the White House in January, with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro denying US allegations of drug production in the country. Maduro has also accused the US of seeking to remove him from power, though Trump has downplayed the likelihood of regime change.
In August, the US doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million (£40.7m), citing alleged links to drug trafficking and criminal networks that Maduro continues to deny. The halt in diplomatic outreach underscores the intensifying focus of the US administration on counter-narcotics operations in the region, while keeping diplomatic options on hold.
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