During a phone call with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, US President Donald Trump told him that Washington could resort to force if he does not leave voluntarily, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing its sources.
According to them, Trump told Maduro last week that “if he does not leave voluntarily“, the US would consider various options against Venezuela, including the use of force. The publication claims that the two leaders also discussed a possible amnesty for Maduro and his inner circle by phone.
During Trump's first term, in March 2020, the United States accused Maduro and several other government officials of narco-terrorism and offered a reward of $15 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the Venezuelan president. In early August 2025, Washington increased the reward to $50 million for information leading to the capture of Maduro. According to the US Department of Justice, the Venezuelan leader “is one of the largest drug traffickers in the world“ and is alleged to “pose a threat to the national security“ of the United States.
American media have repeatedly reported that the United States may soon launch strikes on Venezuelan territory. Trump previously stated that Washington “will very soon begin combating drug trafficking on the ground“ from Venezuela, but did not provide details about possible military operations. The American leader called for “the airspace over and around Venezuela to be considered completely closed“.