PALM BEACH - U.S. President Donald Trump said it would be “smart” for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to relinquish power, as Washington continues to escalate pressure on Caracas through military actions and maritime enforcement near Venezuela.
Speaking to reporters in Palm Beach, Trump stated that the United States could keep or sell oil seized in recent weeks off the Venezuelan coast. He added that no final decision has yet been made on what to do with the confiscated cargo. “Maybe we sell it, maybe we keep it,” Trump said, suggesting the oil could also be used to replenish U.S. strategic reserves.
According to Trump, U.S. pressure on Venezuela has intensified in recent weeks, including an increased military presence in the region and more than twenty attacks on vessels that the United States claims were involved in drug trafficking in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean, near Venezuelan waters. Trump said that at least one hundred people have been killed in those operations.
When asked whether the ultimate goal is to remove Maduro from power, Trump responded that this “very well could be” the case. “That’s up to him. I think it would be smart for him. But we’ll see,” Trump said. “If he wants to play hardball, this will be the last time he can do that.”
Criticism of Colombia and maritime blockade
During the same press conference, Trump also sharply criticized Colombian President Gustavo Petro, calling him “no friend of the United States” and accusing him of allowing cocaine production that is subsequently smuggled into the U.S.
In addition to military actions, Trump has previously announced a “blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela. On Sunday, the United States Coast Guard reportedly resumed pursuit of an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela. If successful, it would mark the third interception of a tanker in less than two weeks.
Maduro responds cautiously
Maduro later responded without mentioning Trump by name, saying that world leaders should focus on their own domestic affairs. “If I speak with him again, I will tell him that every country should concern itself with its own internal matters,” the Venezuelan president said, referring to a telephone conversation he had with Trump last month.
The exchange underscores rising tensions between Washington and Caracas, as the United States intensifies efforts to curb Venezuela’s oil revenues and maritime activity amid broader geopolitical and regional security concerns.