Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said on Thursday he was open to talks with the US on drug trafficking and oil, after weeks of an escalating pressure campaign against his government.
In an interview with Venezuelan state TV, Maduro said he was ready for dialogue with the US wherever they want and whenever they want.
He also evaded a question about President Donald Trump saying the US had attacked a docking facility in Venezuela, reportedly carried out by the CIA. The BBC has contacted the White House for comment.
This comes as US forces have been targeting vessels they suspect of smuggling narcotics through the Caribbean and eastern Pacific for the past three months.
In total, there have been more than 30 strikes on vessels as part of the Trump administration's war on drugs, with over 110 people killed since the US carried out its first attack on a boat in international waters on 2 September.
The latest attack occurred on Wednesday when two boats, allegedly carrying drugs, were struck, resulting in five fatalities on board, according to the US military.
On Monday, Trump stated that the US had struck a dock area associated with alleged Venezuelan drug boats, leading to a major explosion.
This explosion was reportedly caused by a drone strike carried out by the CIA, marking a potential first for US operations within Venezuelan territory.
Maduro remained elusive in the interview, stating that discussions about the strike could happen in the near future.
In addition to drug trafficking, Maduro expressed openness to talks on oil and migration issues.
Trump has previously accused Maduro of unethically displacing prisoners and asylum seekers to the US. US interventions targeting sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela have also intensified.
The US seized an oil tanker off Venezuela on December 10, claiming it was transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran—a claim that Venezuela labeled as international piracy.
Since then, another oil tanker has been seized and a third is under pursuit.
The Trump administration has framed its actions against alleged drug boats as a non-international armed conflict against traffickers, although legal experts argue these could violate existing conflict laws.
Despite the lack of evidence presented by the US regarding the targeted boats, the Southern Command reiterated that intelligence confirmed these vessels were utilizing known drug trafficking routes.
