In a fiery exchange at the White House on Friday, US President Donald Trump directed a blunt verbal assault at Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, claiming the leftist leader had made significant concessions to de-escalate tensions with Washington. ‘He has offered everything, you’re right. You know why? Because he doesn’t want to mess around with the United States,’ Trump remarked when questioned about reports of Venezuela’s proposed de-escalation plans. The US has accused Maduro of leading a drug cartel and has intensified its military presence in the region, deploying stealth warplanes and seven Navy ships as part of its counter-narcotics operations. Earlier this week, B-52 bombers conducted a prolonged flight over the Caribbean near Venezuela, a move the US military described as a demonstration of its commitment to deterring threats and ensuring global readiness. This military buildup has raised concerns in Caracas that Washington’s ultimate objective is regime change. Venezuela is allegedly linked to several drug-smuggling vessels targeted by US forces in a recent campaign that has resulted in over two dozen deaths. Trump defended the strikes, stating, ‘We attacked a submarine, and that was a drug-carrying submarine built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs.’ However, Washington has yet to provide evidence supporting its claims that the targets were drug smugglers. Experts argue that such summary killings are illegal, even if the targets are confirmed narcotics traffickers.