President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, demanding that he resign and leave the country immediately or face escalating consequences, according to a Miami Herald report citing sources familiar with the exchange.
The tense phone call, which took place in mid-November shortly after Trump signaled openness to dialogue, quickly deteriorated as Maduro pressed for sweeping concessions. According to the Herald, Maduro requested global amnesty for himself and top allies, as well as the right to maintain control of Venezuela’s military while agreeing to hold free elections — terms Trump rejected outright.
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Instead, Trump countered with a firm proposal: Maduro, his wife, and his son would be permitted to depart Venezuela safely, but only if they left immediately. A source quoted by the Herald said Trump’s team made clear that “leave now or else” was the only acceptable option.
The collapse of the call came amid intensifying U.S. pressure. Trump has accused Maduro of enabling a vast narcotics pipeline into the United States, calling Venezuelan drug networks a direct threat responsible for nearly 100,000 American overdose deaths last year. Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) said on Fox News Sunday that the flow of fentanyl, opioids, and cocaine has created a “war” deadlier for his state than Vietnam.
Soon after the failed phone negotiation, Trump announced the closure of Venezuelan airspace to international flights — a declaration that the U.S., in practice, has no authority to enforce. Nevertheless, commercial aircraft began rerouting, and flight-tracking data Sunday showed no international air traffic over Venezuela.
Trump also warned over the weekend that U.S. military operations “on land” inside Venezuela could begin “very soon,” following months of escalating anti-drug-trafficking operations at sea. More than a dozen U.S. warships and 15,000 troops are currently deployed in the region under “Operation Southern Spear,” which has already resulted in over 80 deaths in boat strikes.
The administration also formally designated Maduro and his associates as a foreign terrorist organization — “Cartel de los Soles” — a label that enables additional sanctions but does not authorize direct military force.
While Trump has hinted at further action, lawmakers said they were told in a classified briefing that the administration does not currently have legal justification for strikes inside Venezuela. Still, officials stopped short of ruling out future operations.
The Venezuelan government responded by revoking operating rights for major international carriers, accusing Washington of pursuing “colonial aggression” and seeking to seize the country’s vast oil reserves.
U.S. officials, meanwhile, have defended the strategy. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) said Sunday that Trump has “made it very clear” he will not send American troops into Venezuela. Navy Secretary John Phelan framed the fight against Venezuelan traffickers as a defensive campaign: “Drugs kill more Americans than we’ve ever lost in wars,” he said.
Human rights advocates have raised alarm over a reported “double tap” strike in which survivors of a boat bombing near Trinidad were allegedly killed in a second attack — accusations Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has denied. Congress has opened inquiries into the air campaign.
Despite mounting international and domestic scrutiny, Trump administration officials insist the objective remains unchanged: increase pressure on Maduro and dismantle the networks Washington says fuel the U.S. drug crisis.
