NYT: Trump Cuts Diplomatic Contact with Venezuela, Raising Fears of Military Escalation

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump has reportedly ordered an end to diplomatic engagement with Venezuela, a move that could pave the way for military escalation or an attempt to remove President Nicolas Maduro from power, according to a New York Times report on Monday.

The development comes amid heightened tensions over Washington’s claims of Venezuelan involvement in drug trafficking.

Citing unnamed officials, the NYT said Trump conveyed the instruction to his special envoy Richard Grenell—who had been leading back-channel negotiations with Caracas—during a meeting with senior military officials last week. The president was said to have “grown frustrated” that Maduro refused to step down and that Venezuelan officials continued to deny ties to drug cartels.

According to the report, several military options are now being considered by US planners, including measures “designed to force Maduro from power.”

Before the diplomatic break, Grenell had been pursuing a deal that could prevent direct confrontation while granting American energy firms access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly dismissed these talks as “unhelpful” and “creating confusion” within the administration.

In recent weeks, the US has intensified what it calls anti-narcotics operations near Venezuelan waters, claiming to have destroyed several “drug boats” and killed more than a dozen people. US officials have accused Maduro’s government of operating as a “narco-state,” asserting that he effectively functions as a drug kingpin.

While publicly denying any intent to pursue regime change, Trump’s order to halt diplomatic outreach signals a potential shift toward confrontation.

Maduro, for his part, has categorically rejected the US allegations, calling them fabrications aimed at justifying Washington’s ongoing pressure campaign. He warned that any attack on Venezuela would trigger a nationwide “armed struggle,” and his government has since strengthened its military readiness in response to the growing US presence in the Caribbean.