(MENAFN) US Sen. Rick Scott has issued a stark ultimatum to Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, suggesting the embattled president should flee the country as regional military tensions surge.

"If I was Maduro, I'd head to Russia or China right now," the Florida Republican told media in an interview released Sunday.

Scott declared Maduro's "days are numbered," forecasting that "something's gonna happen" through either internal collapse or external intervention.

When pressed on whether a US invasion of Venezuela is imminent, Scott indicated skepticism but didn't rule it out entirely.

"If we do, I'd be surprised," he stated.

The senator's warnings arrive amid heightened military activity in the region. A US warship docked Sunday in Trinidad and Tobago as the Trump administration amplifies its pressure campaign against Caracas.

US President Donald Trump revealed earlier in October that he had greenlit CIA operations within Venezuela.

Scott further projected that Maduro's ouster would trigger "the end of Cuba," asserting: "America is gonna take care of the Southern Hemisphere."

Addressing the possibility of deploying ground forces, the senator conceded that widespread American war fatigue makes it "very difficult" to pursue such operations.

Still, he indicated that international coalition forces could step in "if they needed to."

Venezuela has not yet issued a response to Scott's statements.

Maduro previously denounced US military maneuvers, accusing Washington of attempting to spark "a new eternal war."

Venezuela recently confirmed the nationwide distribution of 5,000 Russian-manufactured Igla-S anti-aircraft missiles to bolster air defense capabilities.

Meanwhile, the US has been executing strikes against suspected Venezuelan narcotics vessels operating in international waters.

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