Maduro Signals Willingness to Talk as US Drug War Pressure Intensifies. Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro says he is open to talks with the United States on drug trafficking, oil and migration, as Washington ramps up pressure on his government. Speaking to state television, Maduro said he was ready for dialogue “whenever and wherever” the US wants - According to BBC. But he avoided confirming reports that the CIA carried out a drone strike on a Venezuelan docking facility — something that, if confirmed, would mark the first known US attack inside the country. The comments come as US forces step up strikes on vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific, with more than 30 attacks reported and over 110 people killed since September. President Donald Trump has framed the operations as part of a wider “war on drugs,” while also increasing rewards for information leading to Maduro’s arrest and threatening to label his government a terrorist organisation. Maduro denies all accusations, calling them a pretext to undermine his rule and gain access to Venezuela’s oil resources.