US President Donald Trump said he had made “progress” on Venezuela in regard to halting the flow of drugs amid speculation that his administration was preparing to strike targets in the country.
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Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday he had “sort of made up my mind” when asked if he had come to a decision on next steps with Venezuela.
“I can’t tell you what it is, but we made a lot of progress with Venezuela in terms of stopping drugs from pouring in.”
The US has called Venezuela’s leader, President Nicolas Maduro, illegitimate and the head of a drug-trafficking network, and in recent weeks Trump has stepped up his rhetoric against his regime.
Since September, the US has been carrying out a campaign of air strikes against purported drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, killing dozens, in a bid to halt South American drug cartels from exporting illegal narcotics that are fuelling an opioid crisis in the US.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to expand those attacks to land, fuelling speculation about US strikes on Venezuela.