(MENAFN) Reports indicate that US President Donald Trump held a confidential phone call with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro late last week as tensions continued to escalate. Several individuals familiar with the exchange said the two discussed the possibility of an in-person meeting.

In recent days, Trump has accused Maduro of heading the Cartel de los Soles, which the US recently labeled a terrorist organization, and has warned of potential military action against what he described as “narcoterrorists” operating inside Venezuela.

Venezuelan officials dismissed the US claims as a “ridiculous lie,” and Maduro cautioned Washington against initiating “a crazy war.”

According to reports, although no summit between the two leaders is currently scheduled, the covert phone call appears to fit into Trump’s strategy of mixing stark warnings with diplomatic outreach. The conversation reportedly included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, known for pushing a tough approach toward both Venezuela and Cuba.

Since September, US forces have destroyed over twenty vessels in the Caribbean that Washington claims were involved in drug trafficking. During a Thanksgiving address to American service members, Trump again suggested the possibility of operations on Venezuelan territory, stating, “We’ll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.”

Maduro, responding to the increased US military presence, ordered his armed forces to remain on high alert and oversaw a series of new exercises. Meanwhile, Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticized the US destruction of several boats, arguing that some of those killed were actually Colombian fishermen.

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