Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro supplied ‘the whole lot’ to ease tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Friday (October 17, 2025) that Venezuelan chief Nicolas Maduro had supplied main concessions to ease tensions with Washington and confirmed a brand new strike on a drug-smuggling vessel, which reportedly left survivors.

Washington accuses Mr. Maduro of heading a drug cartel and has deployed vital army belongings — together with stealth warplanes and 7 U.S. Navy ships — as a part of what it says are counter-narcotics efforts within the area.

Also Read: Blatant aggression | On the Trump administration and its Venezuela actions

Mr. Maduro, an authoritarian socialist who’s extensively accused of stealing elections final 12 months, claims Washington is plotting regime change.

When requested on the White House about reviews that Caracas had floated de-escalation plans, Mr. Trump was scathing. “He has offered everything, you’re right. You know why? Because he doesn’t want to f*ck around with the United States,” he stated.

Venezuela’s Vice-President, Delcy Rodriguez, on Thursday (October 16) denied a Miami Herald report that she had negotiated with Washington on a plan to oust Mr. Maduro.

Venezuela is the alleged origin of among the vessels, at the least six of which have been focused and largely involving speedboats, in an unprecedented marketing campaign of U.S. strikes within the Caribbean since September.

The newest assault left survivors on board, media retailers together with CBS and NBC reported, citing unidentified U.S. officers.

U.S. media later reported on Friday (October 17) the 2 survivors had been within the custody of the U.S. Navy, with no additional particulars accessible on their situations or circumstances.

Mr. Trump stated the goal was a “drug-carrying submarine built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs.”

Semi-submersibles inbuilt clandestine jungle shipyards have for years been used to ferry cocaine from South America, notably Colombia, to Central America or Mexico, often by way of the Pacific Ocean.

Washington says its Caribbean marketing campaign is dealing a decisive blow to drug trafficking, nevertheless it has offered no proof that the individuals killed — at the least 27 up to now — had been drug smugglers.

Experts say such abstract killings are unlawful even when they aim confirmed narcotics traffickers.

The U.S. marketing campaign has drawn in a few of Venezuela’s neighbours.

Police in Trinidad and Tobago, positioned off the coast of Venezuela, is investigating whether or not two of its residents had been killed in a strike on Wednesday (October 15).

And Colombian President Gustavo Petro says he believes Colombians have additionally died within the assaults.

A defiant Mr. Trump this week introduced plans to ramp up operations in opposition to Venezuela, fuelling hypothesis that his administration goals to topple Mr. Maduro.

Mr. Trump indicated he had authorised covert CIA operations in opposition to Venezuela and was contemplating strikes on land targets.

Earlier this week, in a present of pressure, U.S.-based B-52 bombers circled over the Caribbean off Venezuela’s coast for a number of hours, knowledge from monitoring web site Flightradar24 confirmed.

Venezuela has deployed 17,000 troops to Tachira state, which borders Colombia, in response to the U.S. threats.

Venezuelan forces are additionally stationed in southern Amazonas state, which borders each Colombia and Brazil, and a number of coastal areas.

While Mr. Trump weighs whether or not to increase U.S. army motion from the ocean onto land, the admiral overseeing the naval strikes within the Caribbean introduced he’ll step down.

The head of U.S. Southern Command gave no motive for retiring only a 12 months into his tenure, which follows a number of prime U.S. army officers being dismissed in latest months.