Trump says Venezuelan President Maduro does not want to ‘fuck’ with the United States amid escalating Caribbean tensions

WASHINGTON (BN24) — President Donald Trump said Friday that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro does not want to challenge the United States, amid escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas following military strikes in the Caribbean.

Trump’s comments followed a Reuters report, citing three sources, that the U.S. military was holding two survivors on a Navy ship after a U.S. strike on their suspected Caribbean drug vessel killed two others.

Thursday’s strike was the latest in a campaign declared by Trump against a “narcoterrorist” threat he says is emanating from Venezuela and is linked to Maduro. U.S. military strikes against suspected drug boats off Venezuela have killed at least twenty-seven people, raising alarms among some legal experts and mostly Democratic lawmakers who question whether they adhere to the laws of war.

In response to a reporter’s question about a report that Maduro had offered “everything,” including the OPEC member’s natural resources, to secure a deal with the United States, Trump said: “He’s offered everything. You’re right. You know why? Because he doesn’t want to fuck around with the United States.”

Trump’s remarks, during a joint appearance with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House, came against the backdrop of a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean that includes guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine and around sixty-five hundred troops.

The Venezuelan communication ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the Venezuelan government has scoffed at media reports of negotiations by high-ranking officials to oust Maduro.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez posted a selfie with Maduro to Telegram on Thursday in response to what she said were “liars.”

On Wednesday, Trump disclosed he had authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, adding to speculation in Caracas that the United States is attempting to oust Maduro.

Maduro has denied any connection to drug smuggling and denounced the U.S. boat strikes as a pretext for regime change, portraying them as violations of sovereignty and international law.

Trump, who had campaigned unsuccessfully for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, also brought up this year’s winner, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. The fifty-eight-year-old industrial engineer was awarded the coveted prize last Friday.

“I didn’t get a Nobel Prize. Somebody got it, who’s a very nice woman, very nice,” Trump said. “I don’t know who she is, but she was very generous. So I don’t care about all that stuff. I just care about saving lives.”

The Trump administration argues it is in a war with narcoterrorist groups from Venezuela, making the strikes legitimate under international law. However, legal experts and some members of Congress have questioned whether the operations meet the legal standards for armed conflict and whether they violate principles of proportionality and distinction between combatants and civilians.

The military buildup in the Caribbean represents one of the largest U.S. force deployments to the region in recent decades. The presence of a nuclear submarine and advanced fighter jets signals a significant escalation in U.S. military posture toward Venezuela.

Less than a week ago, the Pentagon announced its counter-narcotics operations in the region would not be led by the Miami-based Southern Command, but by II Marine Expeditionary Force, a unit capable of rapid overseas operations based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. That decision surprised military analysts, since a combatant command like Southern Command would normally lead high-profile operations.

The head of U.S. Southern Command, Admiral Alvin Holsey, announced Thursday he would step down at the end of this year, two years ahead of schedule, in what sources described as related to tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over Caribbean operations.

Trump’s disclosure of CIA covert operations inside Venezuela marked an unusual public acknowledgment of classified activities. Presidents typically do not discuss intelligence operations, and the revelation added to concerns in Caracas about U.S. intentions toward the Maduro government.

Venezuela sits atop the world’s largest proven oil reserves and has been wracked by economic crisis and political turmoil for years. International sanctions and declining oil production have devastated the economy, leading to mass migration and humanitarian challenges.

The United States and dozens of other countries recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate president following disputed elections in 2018, though Maduro retains control of state institutions and the military.

Trump’s comments about Machado, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, highlighted the complex dynamics of Venezuelan opposition politics. Machado has been barred from holding office by Maduro’s government but remains a prominent voice for democratic change in Venezuela.