President Donald Trump said he is not ruling out the possibility of a war with Venezuela, signaling continued escalation as his administration ramps up military and economic pressure on the nation’s leader.
“I don’t rule it out, no,” Trump said in a phone interview with NBC News released today.
Trump’s answer comes as at least 104 people have been killed in US strikes on alleged drug boats, ramping up a campaign against Venezuela, which the president now blames for stealing US “oil, land and other assets.”
Asked by NBC News whether such actions could lead to war, Trump initially said: “I don’t discuss it.”
Trump on Tuesday said he was ordering a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and leaving from Venezuela. And the US seized an oil tanker off the country’s coast last week.
Trump said during the interview there will be more oil tanker seizures in the future. Asked about timing, he responded:
“It depends. If they’re foolish enough to be sailing along, they’ll be sailing along back into one of our harbors.”
The president also refused to say whether removing President Nicolás Maduro was his ultimate objective, but said the Venezuelan president “knows exactly what I want,” adding, “he knows better than anybody.”
It comes as the US military also conducted strikes against two alleged drug-trafficking boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean yesterday, killing 5 people, according to US Southern Command. At least 104 people have now been killed in US strikes on alleged drug boats.
CNN’s Piper Hudspeth Blackburn contributed reporting.