U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly ordered his special envoy, Richard Grenell, to halt all diplomatic outreach and negotiations with Venezuela, including backchannel talks with President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
According to reporting from The New York Times, the directive was issued during an October 2 Oval Office meeting with senior military leaders. Trump is said to have voiced his frustration with Maduro’s refusal to step down, his denial of U.S. accusations linking Venezuelan officials to drug trafficking, and his continued blocking of access for American companies to Venezuela’s oil sector.
The move marks a significant escalation and may signal a final decision by the Trump administration to consider military force to remove Maduro from power. While Trump has publicly denied seeking regime change in Caracas — an accusation long made by Maduro — the Times report indicates that Washington had, behind the scenes, sought to compel Maduro’s resignation through diplomatic and economic pressure.
Grenell had reportedly been working to secure a deal that would guarantee the U.S. access to Venezuela’s vast oil resources in exchange for sanctions relief and Maduro’s voluntary exit from office. However, those negotiations appear to have now collapsed.
In recent weeks, U.S. military activity in the Caribbean has increased sharply. According to multiple conservative media reports, dozens of U.S. warships — including destroyers, submarines, and landing vessels — along with stealth aircraft and an estimated 4,500 Marines, have been deployed to the region under the guise of “counter-narcotics operations.” Pentagon planners now reportedly believe the U.S. has built up sufficient force to seize control of Caracas and key Venezuelan infrastructure, including major ports and oil fields.
Analysts have long contended that Venezuela’s immense oil reserves — the largest proven in the world — remain a central motivator for Washington’s hardline stance. Trump, who has repeatedly criticized his predecessors for failing to secure energy leverage in the region, is also believed to view the confrontation as a way to redeem the failed 2019 coup attempt that aimed to install opposition figure Juan Guaidó.