'Nobody Planning To Shoot Him...At This Point': US Officials Say Trump May Speak To Maduro

Last Updated:November 25, 2025, 23:34 IST

Trump may speak to Maduro despite US labeling him a terrorist. US targets Cartel de los Soles, intensifies anti-drug operations, and amasses troops for Operation Southern Spear.

An official said the date for the call between US President Donald Trump and Venezuela Nicolas Maduro has not been decided as it is "in the planning stages". (Reuters)

US President Donald Trump will likely be speaking to his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro, though Washington designated him as the head of a terrorist organisation.

According to Axios, Trump’s decision is an important milestone in his gunboat diplomacy aimed at Venezuela — and could be a sign that US missile strikes or direct military action on land are not imminent.

“Nobody is planning to go in and shoot him or snatch him — at this point. I wouldn’t say never, but that’s not the plan right now," Axios quoted an official. “In the meantime, we’re going to blow up boats shipping drugs. We’re going to stop the drug trafficking."

Another official said the date for the call between Trump and Maduro has not been decided as it is “in the planning stages."

“Maduro is a narcoterrorist. Always lead with that word if you want to represent the president’s thinking," the administration official was quoted as saying.

The US on Monday formally designated the Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns) as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO), layering additional terrorism-related sanctions on the group. It said this group includes the Venezuelan president and other high-ranking officials.

The Cartel de los Soles, a reference to the sun insignia worn by Venezuelan generals, had previously been designated as a “specially designated global terrorist" by the Treasury Department.

In response, the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: “Venezuela categorically, firmly, and absolutely rejects the new and ridiculous lie from the Secretary of the Department of State, Marco Rubio, who designates the alleged Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist organization… to justify an illegitimate and illegal intervention against Venezuela."

Maduro has always rejected allegations of his involvement in drug trafficking, and his government has denied the presence of the alleged cartel.

According to CNN, the US military has amassed more than a dozen warships and 15,000 troops into the region as part of what the Pentagon has branded “Operation Southern Spear." The US military has killed dozens of people in boat strikes as part of the anti-drug-trafficking campaign.

In July, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Cartel de los Soles, calling it a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist" organisation and claimed that it “provided material support to Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel."

According to the Treasury, “The cartel’s name is derived from the sun insignias often portrayed on the uniforms of Venezuelan military officials."

News world 'Nobody Planning To Shoot Him...At This Point': US Officials Say Trump May Speak To Maduro

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