Venezuela open to talks with US on drug trafficking

Maduro said he was ready for dialogue with the US "wherever they want and whenever they want."

He also evaded a question about a statement by President Donald Trump that the US had hit a docking facility in Venezuela. When asked to confirm or deny the information, Maduro said that "this could be something we talk about in a few days."

In addition to drug trafficking, Maduro said he was ready to discuss oil and migration issues with Washington.

His statement came amid the US military operations targeting vessels suspected of smuggling drugs through the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific.

Since September 2, more than 30 such operations have been carried out under the Trump administration's declared "war on drugs," resulting in over 110 deaths.

The US has provided no evidence that the boats it has targeted are carrying drugs. But the US Southern Command again insisted this week that "intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and engaged in narco-trafficking."

US-Venezuela conflict

On December 16, US President Donald Trump announced a complete blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuelan waters.

In doing so, the US leader is seeking to cut off the primary source of revenue for the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's regime.

In recent weeks, the US forces have intercepted two tankers, while a third—pursued by US forces—turned away from Venezuela and disappeared into the Atlantic Ocean.

Earlier on Tuesday, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on 10 individuals and entities based in Iran and Venezuela suspected of involvement in arms trafficking.

The Trump administration has also added Venezuelan-linked oil companies and tankers to the sanctions list.

In addition to the oil blockade, Trump said about a week ago that he would designate Maduro’s government as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, accusing it of involvement in drug trafficking.

Amid the tensions described above, Trump did not rule out a potential US military campaign against Venezuela in the future.

He also recently said that the US carried out a strike on a facility inside Venezuela, hitting loading docks that were allegedly used by vessels involved in drug trafficking.