Trump Seeks Call With Maduro as U.S. Pressure Grows and Flights to Venezuela Stall

Overview

• Trump said he wants to speak with Nicolás Maduro to "save lives," with planning underway and no date set, while warning the United States could take a "hard" approach if needed.
• The State Department listed the alleged Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, naming Maduro as its leader and offering a $50 million reward.
• A White House spokesperson said maritime attacks will continue; U.S. forces have conducted about 21 strikes on suspected drug boats since September, resulting in roughly 80–83 deaths.
• An FAA safety notice prompted multiple airlines, including Iberia, TAP, Latam, Avianca, Gol and Turkish Airlines, to suspend routes, as Venezuela’s aviation authority ordered flights to resume within 48 hours under threat of license revocation.
• The U.S. keeps a reinforced Caribbean posture — the USS Gerald R. Ford and about 15,000 personnel are deployed and senior commanders are touring the region — as officials weigh options from covert operations to airstrikes without announcing a ground invasion.