In a dramatic turn of events that has further strained the already tense relationship between Venezuela and the United States, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has publicly denied U.S. allegations of drug trafficking and called for direct diplomatic talks with President Donald Trump. The move comes in the wake of a series of deadly U.S. military strikes on vessels alleged to be carrying drugs near Venezuelan waters, escalating a standoff that has drawn international attention and sparked debate across the Americas.
On September 6, 2025, just four days after a U.S. strike killed 11 Venezuelans on a boat Washington claimed was being used for drug smuggling, Maduro penned a letter to Trump. The letter, which was later shared on Telegram by Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez and confirmed by a U.S. source to CNN, flatly rejects the drug trafficking accusations and brands them as “fake news, propagated through various media channels.” Maduro’s message is clear: he wants a “direct and frank conversation with your special envoy,” referring to Richard Grenell, the former U.S. ambassador to Germany who has played a key role in recent backchannel negotiations.
Maduro’s letter, released publicly by Caracas on September 21, 2025, was sent against a backdrop of rapidly escalating military action. The U.S. had just deployed eight warships, a nuclear-powered submarine, and ten fighter jets to the southern Caribbean, positioning them off Venezuela’s coast and in nearby Puerto Rico. According to the Associated Press, these moves were officially described as part of an anti-drug trafficking mission. However, Maduro and his government have repeatedly claimed that the buildup is a thinly veiled attempt at regime change—a charge the White House denies.
In the letter, Maduro not only denies the U.S. accusations but also offers what he describes as “compelling data on drug production and drug trafficking … that demonstrates that Venezuela is a territory free of drug production.” He asserts, “It is the worst fake news that has been launched against our country in an escalation in an armed conflict that would do catastrophic damage to the whole continent.” The Venezuelan leader goes on to urge Trump to “keep the peace with dialogue and understanding in the entire hemisphere,” adding, “President, I hope that together we can defeat this fake news that is filling with noise a relationship that should be historic and peaceful.”
Maduro’s defense of his government’s record on drugs is detailed and pointed. He claims that only five percent of the drugs produced in neighboring Colombia make their way into Venezuela, and that his government has “already neutralized and destroyed more than 70 percent of that small percentage that attempts to cross that extensive border, more than 2,200 kilometers (1,300 miles) long, that we share with Colombia.” These figures, repeated in both the letter and public statements, are intended to counter the Trump administration’s charge that Maduro is among the world’s largest narco-traffickers and is working with cartels to flood the U.S. with fentanyl-laced cocaine.
The timing of Maduro’s outreach is notable. In August 2025, the Trump administration doubled its reward for Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, a move that signaled an intensification of Washington’s efforts to pressure the Venezuelan leader. The U.S. has also accused him and his allies of using Venezuela as a hub for international drug trafficking, allegations that have been widely reported but, according to Maduro, lack conclusive proof. Indeed, while the U.S. has claimed its recent strikes targeted drug traffickers, the White House has not provided intelligence data to confirm that those killed were in fact criminals.
Since the initial strike on September 2, which left 11 dead, the U.S. has carried out at least two more attacks on suspected drug boats—one off the coast of Venezuela and another north of the Dominican Republic. The latter attack, announced by Trump on September 19 and confirmed by the Dominican Republic’s drug enforcement agency and the U.S. embassy there, resulted in three more deaths. These operations have raised eyebrows throughout Latin America, with many governments and observers questioning both their legality and their proportionality. As reported by AFP, drug trafficking is not a capital offense under U.S. law, and critics point out that the U.S. military has been destroying vessels rather than seizing them and arresting their crews, which is the standard procedure in anti-drug operations.
The Venezuelan government has responded with a show of force of its own, conducting military exercises and displaying Russian-built fighter jets. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López described the situation as an “undeclared war” on September 19, warning that the U.S. deployment represents a “military threat” to the country. In addition, Venezuela claims to have mobilized millions of militiamen, underscoring the seriousness with which it views the standoff.
Despite the saber-rattling on both sides, there have been some signs of potential diplomatic engagement. Richard Grenell, Trump’s special envoy, has met with Maduro several times in 2025, primarily to negotiate the release of U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela in exchange for Venezuelan migrants previously sent by the White House to El Salvador. On September 16, Grenell publicly called for de-escalation, saying he believed the U.S. and Venezuela “can still have a deal” to avoid war. This statement, coming at a moment of heightened tension, suggests that backchannel diplomacy is not entirely off the table.
For now, however, the situation remains fraught. Trump, when asked by reporters on September 21 whether he had received Maduro’s letter, replied cryptically, “We’ll see what happens with Venezuela.” Both a representative for Grenell and a spokesperson for the Venezuelan government declined to comment further on the letter when contacted by CNN.
The broader international community is watching closely, concerned that a misstep could trigger a conflict with consequences far beyond the Caribbean. The U.S. military deployment has been widely denounced in Latin America, and the debate over the legality and ethics of the recent strikes continues to rage. Meanwhile, Maduro’s government is eager to portray itself as both a victim of U.S. aggression and a willing participant in constructive dialogue.
As the rhetoric intensifies and the military maneuvers continue, the world waits to see whether diplomacy or confrontation will ultimately prevail in the ongoing U.S.-Venezuela standoff.
