President Donald Trump wants to speak directly with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro as the United States continues lethal strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels off Venezuela’s coast. The outreach, reported by Axios, comes after the U.S. designated the so‑called Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization and accused Maduro of leading it.
President Donald Trump has told advisers he wants to engage in direct communication with Venezuelan ruler Nicolás Maduro, according to reports from Axios, as cited by The Daily Wire and other outlets.
Axios’s reporting, summarized by The Daily Wire, indicates that Trump, who has described Maduro as a leader of the Cartel de los Soles, has signaled to advisers that he hopes to speak with the socialist leader, suggesting a possible turn toward diplomacy even as U.S. military pressure continues.
The U.S. State Department has designated the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, with a notice published in the Federal Register on Monday, according to Axios and The Daily Wire. The U.S. alleges that the group is headed by Maduro and senior figures in his government, a claim Venezuela rejects.
U.S. military operations against suspected narco‑trafficking boats in the Caribbean have intensified in recent months. The current campaign, referred to as “Operation Southern Spear,” is aimed at disrupting drug‑trafficking routes and has also been described by Axios, as relayed by The Daily Wire, as part of a broader effort to increase pressure on Maduro’s regime.
According to Axios, 21 U.S. strikes on drug boats in the Caribbean have killed at least 83 people. A post on X by an account identifying itself as “Secretary of War Pete Hegseth” on October 23, 2025, described a lethal strike on a vessel operated by a designated terrorist organization engaged in narco‑trafficking in the Eastern Pacific, though this position and title are not part of the current official U.S. cabinet structure and have not been independently confirmed by major outlets.
Officials quoted by Axios, and reported by The Daily Wire, have stressed that there are no current plans to directly target Maduro himself. “Nobody is planning to go in and shoot him or snatch him — at this point. I wouldn’t say never, but that’s not the plan right now,” one official familiar with the discussions said. “In the meantime, we’re going to blow up boats shipping drugs. We’re going to stop the drug trafficking,” the official added.
A White House official cited by Axios also said, “We have covert operations, but it’s not designed to kill Maduro. It’s designed to stop narcotrafficking,” while adding that “if Maduro leaves, we would not shed a tear.”
U.S. officials say the proposed Trump–Maduro call is still in the planning stages, and no date or detailed agenda has been made public. One official described Maduro as a “narcoterrorist” and urged skepticism about any potential offers he might make, according to Axios accounts reported by The Daily Wire and The Guardian.
Diplomatic sources cited in those reports expect Maduro could offer assurances related to future elections, access to Venezuelan oil and reductions in shipments to Russia. However, they point to what they describe as a history of unfulfilled commitments by Maduro and urge caution about taking such promises at face value.
