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By Gabe Whisnant
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President Nicolás Maduro said Venezuela is willing to negotiate an agreement with the United States to combat drug trafficking but declined to comment on a CIA-led strike last week on Venezuelan soil that U.S. officials believe targeted cartel operations.
In a pretaped interview aired Thursday on state television, Maduro told Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet that Washington’s pressure campaign aims to force regime change and gain access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. The campaign began in August with a major U.S. military deployment to the Caribbean.
“What are they seeking? It is clear that they seek to impose themselves through threats, intimidation and force,” Maduro said. He added that it is time for both nations to “start talking seriously, with data in hand.”
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Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has defended the strikes as necessary to stem the flow of narcotics into the United States, calling the effort an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. The campaign began off Venezuela’s Caribbean coast and later expanded to the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Maduro's interview was recorded on New Year’s Eve, the same day the U.S. military announced strikes on five suspected drug-smuggling boats. Those attacks brought the total to 35 since August, with at least 115 people killed, according to figures released by the Trump administration. Venezuelans were among the victims.
Congressional efforts to limit the U.S. military actions close to Venezuela have so far failed. Experts, along with current and former officials, have raised questions about the legal basis for the strikes.
What To Know
Maduro said his government is ready to discuss a drug-trafficking pact.
“The U.S. government knows, because we’ve told many of their spokespeople, that if they want to seriously discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we’re ready,” he said.
The White House has ordered U.S. forces to focus on a maritime "quarantine" of Venezuelan oil exports, interdicting tankers and tightening restrictions on sanctioned vessels in Caribbean waters.
He also signaled openness to U.S. investment in Venezuela’s oil sector, citing Chevron Corp., the only major company currently exporting Venezuelan crude to the United States. Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves.
“If they want oil, Venezuela is ready for U.S. investment, like with Chevron, whenever they want it, wherever they want it and however they want it.”
Meanwhile, the CIA carried out a drone strike last week at a Venezuelan docking area believed to be used by cartels, according to two people familiar with the classified operation. It marked the first known direct U.S. action on Venezuelan soil since the boat strikes began, escalating pressure on Maduro, who faces U.S. narco-terrorism charges.
Asked about the CIA strike, Maduro said only that he could “talk about it in a few days.”
Maduro is wanted in the U.S. on narcoterrorism charges, and U.S. authorities have offered a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest. Maduro, whose reelection last year is not internationally recognized by countries like the U.S., has denied heading up narcotics networks.
What People Are Saying
In a message shared via his official Telegram channel on December 30, Maduro congratulated the Venezuelan military for reaching a total of 39 drug-trafficking planes downed in 2025 and 430 since authorities began enforcing the country's current anti-drug law: “We are ending a year of offensives against criminal gangs and all enemies of the homeland. This 2025, we reached 39 aircraft and 430 since we applied this law. We are victorious! My recognition,” also commending the country's territorial defense system and anti-aircraft divisions for their 24-hour vigilance.
President Donald Trump said on Monday to reporters after being asked if the U.S. military performed the strike: “Well, it doesn’t matter. But there was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs. So, we hit all the boats and we hit the area, the implementation area. That's where they implement. And that is no longer around."
When asked by a reporter if the attack was the only U.S. strike inside the country, Trump said, "I don't want to comment."
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox & Friends on Monday: [The targeting of tankers is intended to send] “a message around the world that the illegal activity that Maduro is participating in cannot stand, he needs to be gone, and that we will stand up for our people.”
What Happens Next
Observers are monitoring for possible escalation as the Trump administration continues military operations near Venezuelan territory and issues public warnings to the Maduro government.
Diplomatic protests and harsh rhetoric from both sides have limited apparent prospects for negotiations.
Given Venezuela’s strategic alliances and the risk of spillover effects, U.S. officials may weigh further actions, including expanding sanctions or direct intervention, with analysts cautioning that conflict could spread regionally if no resolution emerges.
Updates: 1/1/26, 9:54 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.
Updates: 1/1/26, 11:35 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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