CARACAS – In a significant diplomatic overture, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has expressed a willingness to engage in negotiations with the United States to address the persistent issue of drug trafficking. This declaration was made during a pre-recorded interview broadcasted on state television on Thursday. However, President Maduro refrained from discussing a recent CIA-led operation targeting a Venezuelan docking area, which the Trump administration suspected was being utilized by drug cartels.

Speaking with Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet, Maduro reiterated his belief that the United States aims to instigate a regime change in Venezuela. He accused the U.S. of attempting to secure control over Venezuela’s extensive oil reserves through an ongoing pressure campaign, which notably included a significant military buildup in the Caribbean Sea back in August.

“What are they seeking?” Maduro questioned rhetorically. “It is clear that they seek to impose themselves through threats, intimidation, and force,” he asserted. Maduro emphasized the necessity for both nations to engage in serious dialogue, underpinned by solid data.

He further stated, “The U.S. government knows, because we’ve communicated this to many of their representatives, that if they want to seriously discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we’re ready.” Maduro also extended an olive branch concerning oil, noting, “If they want oil, Venezuela is ready for U.S. investment, like with Chevron, whenever they want it, wherever they want it, and however they want it.”

Chevron Corporation remains the only major oil company currently exporting Venezuelan crude to the United States, underscoring the strategic importance of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, which are the largest proven reserves in the world.

This interview was recorded on New Year’s Eve, coinciding with the U.S. military’s announcement of strikes against five suspected drug-smuggling boats. These recent actions have increased the total number of reported strikes to 35, with at least 115 casualties, according to figures released by the Trump administration. Among those affected are Venezuelan nationals.

President Donald Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted that the U.S. is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. The strikes began off Venezuela’s Caribbean coast and later expanded to the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Meanwhile, the CIA was behind a drone strike last week at a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels, according to two people familiar with details of the operation who requested anonymity to discuss the classified matter. It was the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the boat strikes began, a significant escalation in the administration’s pressure campaign on Maduro, who has been charged with narco-terrorism in the U.S.

Asked about the operation on Venezuelan soil, Maduro said he could “talk about it in a few days.”

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Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report from Washington.