In a dramatic development that signals a significant shift in US foreign policy, President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro last week, discussing a potential meeting between the two leaders while military tensions continued to escalate between their nations.
Military Escalation in Caribbean Waters
The revelation of the high-level phone call comes as the Trump administration has authorised an aggressive military campaign against suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers operating in Caribbean waters. According to Pentagon estimates seen by The Washington Post, this lethal operation has resulted in over 80 fatalities among suspected operatives.
One particularly controversial incident occurred on September 2nd, when US forces launched missile strikes against a vessel believed to be transporting drugs from Venezuela. The initial attack killed nine people aboard and set the boat ablaze, but when surveillance footage revealed two survivors clinging to the wreckage, a second missile was fired upon command from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Sources with direct knowledge of the operation revealed to The Washington Post that Hegseth had instructed intelligence analysts monitoring the vessel to 'kill everybody' on board. The follow-up strike consequently eliminated the two survivors, who were reportedly 'blown apart in the water'.
Legal Challenges and Official Denials
The Trump administration's aggressive tactics have sparked significant controversy among politicians and international law experts. Representative Seth Moulton described the justification for the second attack as 'patently absurd', emphasising that 'killing survivors is blatantly illegal under international law'.
Legal specialists have questioned the administration's authority to conduct such operations, noting that the United Nations Charter permits military force against foreign vessels only when they're engaged in armed attack - a condition that appears absent in these circumstances. Todd Huntley, a former military lawyer who advised Special Operations forces, told The Post that since the US and Venezuela aren't in formal 'armed conflict', killing the men potentially 'amounts to murder'.
Defence Secretary Hegseth has vehemently denied the specific reporting of his 'kill everybody' directive, taking to social media platform X to call the account 'fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory'. However, he simultaneously defended the administration's overall approach, stating: 'The Biden administration preferred the kid gloves approach, allowing millions of people - including dangerous cartels and unvetted Afghans - to flood our communities with drugs and violence.'
Diplomatic Manoeuvres Amid Military Action
The reported phone conversation between Trump and Maduro adds a complex diplomatic dimension to the ongoing military operations. According to The New York Times, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly joined the call, during which the leaders discussed a potential meeting. However, sources clarified that no concrete plans for such a meeting currently exist.
This diplomatic engagement appears contradictory given the administration's public stance toward Maduro's government. Secretary Rubio has repeatedly described Maduro as an illegitimate president and recently designated the Cartel de los Soles - a group of high-ranking Venezuelan officials allegedly involved in drug trafficking - as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Meanwhile, the military campaign continues to expand. Internal data reviewed by The Washington Post indicates that since the September attack, the Pentagon has launched missiles at at least 22 additional boats suspected of drug trafficking activities.
During a Thanksgiving address to service members, President Trump hinted at further escalation, stating that the administration was expanding military efforts to include land strikes against drug traffickers. 'We warn them: Stop sending poison to our country,' Trump declared, suggesting that intercepting traffickers on land would be 'easier' and would commence 'very soon'.
As the situation develops, the juxtaposition of diplomatic outreach and military aggression creates a puzzling foreign policy landscape, leaving observers questioning the administration's ultimate objectives regarding Venezuela and its controversial leader.
