US gives Maduro one last chance. Venezuelan leader urged to resign or face full force of ‘narco-terror’ crackdown
2025, 12/01
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez observed a government-organised civic-military march in Caracas, Venezuela.
A tense phone call last week between the White House and President Nicolás Maduro offered the embattled leader one final deal: resign immediately, leave Venezuela with his wife and son, and receive safe passage—or face the full force of an expanding US campaign targeting what Washington has labelled a “narco-terrorist regime.”
US media reported the call, brokered by Brazil, Qatar, and Turkey, collapsed almost instantly. Maduro demanded global amnesty, control of the armed forces and time to negotiate an exit, conditions Washington rejected outright.
Days later, President Donald Trump stunned the region by declaring Venezuelan airspace “closed in its entirety,” warning airlines, drug traffickers and human smugglers that the order required “immediate attention.”
In Venezuela, the statement was widely interpreted as a signal that land operations could begin imminently.
For Trinidad and Tobago, 7 miles from Venezuela at its closest point with no buffer zone, the prospect of US military action on Venezuelan soil triggered deep concern, amid the humanitarian impact of flows of irregular migrants on services and crime.
The phone call came amid a sweeping escalation of US pressure on the Maduro regime.
Washington revived long-standing allegations that Venezuela’s top leadership runs the Cartel de los Soles, described by US officials as a state-embedded drug-trafficking network. Last week, the US formally designated the cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, placing Maduro, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, and Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López in the same legal category as al-Qaeda and ISIS.
The designation significantly widens Washington’s authority to conduct military operations without additional congressional approval. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the move “opens up a lot of new options,” while President Trump hinted that land-based missions targeting cartel infrastructure could begin “very soon.”
Venezuela rejected all US allegations as politically motivated. The Foreign Ministry said it would not waste “valuable governing time” responding to “slanders,” insisting the population was “united and cohesive” and preparing for the Christmas season.
Inside Venezuela, residents in coastal communities facing Trinidad reported heightened military activity in the wake of Trump’s airspace declaration. Videos online show increased patrols and troop deployments, though Caracas has not confirmed any mobilisation.
Regional analysts warn that any conflict in Venezuela—whether limited strikes or a broader campaign—could have immediate repercussions for T&T.
UN failure to combat trafficking in drugs, arms and migrants (DAM) led USA to act to protect its people.
31 October 2025
The UN human rights chief condemned US military strikes on vessels allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific, saying the lethal attacks violate international law and amount to “extrajudicial killing”.Calling the attacks “unacceptable”, he said Washington must halt them immediately and conduct prompt, independent and transparent investigations. President Donald Trump has said the strikes are necessary to stem the flow of drugs into the US and he has the legal authority to continue bombing boats in international waters.
UN urges restraint as US strikes in Caribbean escalate tension with Venezuela
10 October 2025
The UN on Friday warned of mounting risks to regional peace after a series of US military strikes on boats that it accused of drug trafficking left at least 21 dead in the southern Caribbean, prompting Venezuela to declare a state of emergency and denounce the attacks as a breach of international law.
Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča said the US operations, conducted between 2 September and 3 October, heightened tensions in the region and drawn sharp criticism from Caracas.
“Venezuelan authorities have announced that they remain on high alert since the United States military deployments were first reported in August,” he said, noting that President Nicolás Maduro mobilized 4.5 million members of the Bolivarian Militia to support the armed forces.
According to US authorities, the strikes targeted vessels in international waters carrying
illegal drugs bound for the US. 11 individuals were reportedly killed in the first attack on 2 September, with subsequent operations bringing the total reported fatalities to 21. The exact locations of the incidents have not been publicly disclosed, and the UN is not able to independently verify these reports.
Trading of allegations Mr. Jenča stated that Washington has defended its actions as consistent with the laws governing armed conflict and necessary to protect American citizens from the flow of illicit drugs from South and Central America.
“A White House spokesperson said that ‘the President acted in line with the law of armed conflict’, seeking to protect the US ‘from those trying to bring deadly poison’ to its shores,” he told the Security Council.
Venezuelan officials, however, view the strikes as provocative and a violation of sovereignty.
The Permanent Representative of Venezuela to the UN wrote to the Security Council on 9 October, stating that the “ulterior purpose” of the US actions continues to be to “advance its policies of regime change”.
Caracas has also reported overflights by US fighter jets near its shores and the detention of a fishing boat in Venezuelan waters, while Washington said 2 Venezuelan military aircraft flew over a US Navy vessel in international waters.
Repeated calls for restraint: The UN has repeatedly called on both parties to exercise restraint and resolve differences through peaceful means.
Mr. Jenča emphasised that efforts to counter drug trafficking “must be carried out in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter,” and that any use of force in countering illicit trafficking must respect human rights standards.
“The United Nations recognises the devastating impact of violence driven by transnational organised crime, which affects production, transit, and destination countries alike,”.“
We continue to emphasize the need for all efforts to counter transnational organised crime to be conducted in accordance with international law.”
The UN would continue to support diplomatic dialogue and measures to prevent further escalation, calling on Washington and Caracas to prioritise de-escalation and constructive engagement.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime-Maritime crime and piracy :
The UNODC’s Global Maritime Crime Programme was established to support Member States in:
-
-
- 1) Law Enforcement
- 2) Detection/Interdiction
- 3) Investigation
- 4) Prosecution
- 5) Detention
- 6) Regional Cooperation
-
Core functions include:
- (a) Developing, managing, implementing and coordinating technical cooperation activities of the Office in drug control, crime prevention and criminal justice at the national, regional and global levels through a network of field offices and assisting Governments in the development and implementation of programmes aimed at:
-
- (i) Reducing illicit cultivation, production, manufacture, traffic and abuse of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and improving the effectiveness of measures for controlling the licit supply of drugs and precursor chemicals;
- (ii) Effective institution-building, criminal justice reform and crime prevention and control strategies;
- (iii) Balanced prevention, treatment and rehabilitation measures to prevent drug abuse, HIV, AIDS and crimes related to such abuse;
- (iv) Action in the area of sustainable livelihoods to eliminate crop cultivation;
- (v) Effective counter-narcotics and other anti-trafficking measures to suppress organized crime;
- (b) Developing common standards for the exchange of drug-related and crime-related information and facilitating the exchange of such information among Member States, United Nations agencies and other international organizations;
- (c) Providing a repository of technical expertise for drug control and crime prevention programmes and policy development;
- (d) Elaborating strategic planning and information tools on drugs and crime;
- (e) Providing operational support for terrorism prevention activities.
-
Coordinating the activities of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute and ensuring cooperation with regional and affiliated criminal justice institutes