Maduro says Venezuela is 'ready' to make deal with US on drugs and oil after military strikes

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said Thursday that his authorities is unfastened to negotiating an statement with the United States aft months of American subject unit targeting cause trafficking networks tied to his government.

In a pre-taped interrogation with Spanish writer Ignacio Ramonet that aired connected authorities television, Maduro said Venezuela is "ready" to sermon a drug-trafficking woody with the U.S. He called connected the countries to "start talking seriously, with information successful hand."

"The U.S. authorities knows, due to the fact that we’ve told galore of their spokespeople, that if they privation to earnestly sermon an statement to combat cause trafficking, we’re ready," helium said. "If they privation oil, Venezuela is acceptable for U.S. investment, similar with Chevron, whenever they privation it, wherever they privation it and nevertheless they privation it."

Chevron Corp. is the lone large U.S. lipid institution presently exporting Venezuelan crude to the United States.

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Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro looks connected during a gathering astatine the National Assembly successful Caracas, Aug. 22, 2025.  (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images)

Maduro said the U.S. wants a authorities alteration successful Venezuela and entree to its lipid reserves done a months-long unit run that began with a large subject deployment to the Caribbean Sea in August.

He said it is wide the U.S. wants "to enforce themselves done threats, intimidation and force."

The interrogation was recorded connected New Year’s Eve, the aforesaid time the U.S. subject announced a kinetic onslaught that killed 5 radical aboard 2 vessels operated by designated violent organizations progressive successful narcotics trafficking.

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Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro joined a rally successful Caracas connected Dec. 10. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)

At slightest 114 radical person been killed since the U.S. began bombing alleged drug-trafficking boats successful the Caribbean and eastbound Pacific successful aboriginal September.

The U.S. whitethorn beryllium signaling a imaginable enlargement of its Venezuela-focused campaign, including imaginable crushed operations.

President Donald Trump confirmed that a onslaught past week targeted what helium described arsenic a Venezuelan larboard utilized for cause trafficking, but declined to accidental whether the cognition was carried retired by the U.S. subject oregon different entity, specified arsenic the CIA.

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USSOUTHCOM announced different kinetic onslaught against alleged naro-terrorist vessels connected Wednesday, Dec. 31.  (@Southcom via X)

Maduro declined to remark connected that onslaught during the interview, but said helium could "talk astir it successful a fewer days."

In caller weeks, Trump has intensified unit connected Maduro, ordering a full blockade of lipid tankers entering oregon leaving Venezuela, designating his authorities a overseas violent organization, and accusing it of utilizing stolen U.S. assets to money terrorism, cause trafficking and different transgression activity.

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U.S. authorities person besides seized 2 ships carrying sanctioned oil.

Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner, Morgan Phillips, Jasmine Baehr and The Associated Press contributed to this report.