(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump signaled on Sunday that his administration may open channels of communication with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, even as the United States escalates its military posture across the Caribbean, according to reports.

“We may be having some discussions with Maduro, and we'll see how that turns out…They would like to talk,” he told reporters in Florida before leaving for Washington, DC.

His comments followed the recent decision to label the Venezuela-linked Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, a designation he said gives the US additional authority to pursue entities tied to Maduro’s government, which he claims is connected to the criminal network. “It allows us to do that, but we haven’t said we’re going to do that,” he added.

Trump also said he had directed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior State Department officials to update Congress on ongoing efforts to limit narcotics trafficking, stating: “Go to Congress and let them know we’re not letting drugs come through Mexico, we’re not letting them come through Venezuela,” while warning that “the only thing I don’t want them to do is leak information.”

Earlier this year, several Mexican cartels were assigned the same terrorist designation, granting US intelligence agencies expanded legal scope for clandestine actions, as stated by reports.

Meanwhile, the US military has continued striking vessels in both the Caribbean and the Pacific that Trump and his advisers allege are tied to drug shipments destined for the United States. The president has repeatedly hinted at potential action against Maduro himself.

For months, Washington has broadened its regional military footprint, positioning Marines, naval vessels, submarines, aircraft, and drones throughout Latin America. Reports indicate that the USS Gerald Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, has now entered the Caribbean as part of this expanded deployment.

According to military officials, the buildup aligns with a directive issued by the US defense chief to reinforce efforts to dismantle criminal networks viewed as threats to national security. US operations initially began in September with a strike on a Venezuelan speedboat and later spread to the Eastern Pacific by late October.

Since the campaign was launched, at least 21 operations targeting suspected narcotics traffickers have taken place, leading to a reported 82 fatalities.

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