(MENAFN) Donald Trump has minimized the likelihood of a direct conflict between the United States and Venezuela, but he suggested that Nicolás Maduro's presidency might soon come to an end.

In an interview with CBS News's 60 Minutes, when asked about the possibility of the US going to war with Venezuela, Trump responded: "I doubt it. I don't think so. But they've been treating us very badly."

For the past two months, the US military has been steadily increasing its presence in the Caribbean Sea, deploying warships, fighter jets, bombers, marines, drones, and reconnaissance aircraft. This build-up represents the largest military mobilization in the region in decades.

The US has also been carrying out operations targeting suspected drug-smuggling boats in the area, with the Trump administration justifying these actions as necessary to combat the flow of narcotics into the country.

Trump rejected the idea that the US operations were about toppling Maduro, a long-time adversary of the president, and insisted that the campaign was "about many things."

He emphasized that the actions were not solely focused on ousting the Venezuelan leader.

According to CBS News, the US airstrikes have led to the deaths of at least 64 individuals in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since the beginning of September.

Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump further defended the strikes, stating: "Every single boat that you see that's shot down kills 25,000 on drugs and destroys families all over our country."

When pressed about the possibility of US military actions on land, Trump did not rule it out. He remained evasive, replying: "I wouldn't be inclined to say that I would do that... I'm not gonna tell you what I'm gonna do with Venezuela, if I was gonna do it or if I wasn't going to do it."

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