“I don’t want to comment on the matter. The answer is yes,” Trump said on November 30 when asked about reports that he had held a phone conversation with Maduro. He declined to reveal the content or outcome of the exchange, stressing that it was simply “a phone call.” When questioned about whether his earlier threat to block Venezuelan airspace signaled an imminent U.S. attack, Trump warned reporters “not to interpret anything.”
Senator Markwayne Mullin, a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, said the same day that Washington had offered Maduro “an opportunity to leave the country” for Russia or another destination.
Addressing the possibility of a U.S. strike on Venezuela, Mullin said Trump had made it clear that Washington would not deploy ground forces to the South American nation, asserting that current actions were aimed at “protecting our coastline.” “This is peace through strength. We will not wait until they come to us — we will go to them if our nation is threatened,” he added, referencing recent U.S. operations targeting suspected drug-running boats near Venezuelan waters.
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Venezuelan officials have not commented on statements from Trump and Mullin. Earlier in September, the U.S. military launched a counter-narcotics campaign in the Caribbean and deployed significant forces to the region, fueling concerns that Washington might be preparing to overthrow Maduro’s government.
The U.S. military presence near Venezuela currently includes the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, at least eight surface vessels, a special operations support ship, an attack submarine, eight F-35B stealth fighters, AC-130 gunships, transport aircraft, MQ-9 drones, and more than 15,000 personnel.
Although Trump has not explicitly threatened to use force against Maduro, he stated on November 27 that “on-the-ground” efforts to curb drug trafficking from Venezuela would begin soon. It remains unclear whether this refers to a potential ground assault or the use of long-range weapons. Tensions intensified further after Trump warned on November 29 that airspace over and around Venezuela “would be blocked.”
President Maduro said the large U.S. military buildup demonstrates Washington’s intent to pursue regime change in Venezuela. The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry also condemned Trump’s airspace-blockade warning, calling it an irrational and illegal act of aggression.