President Donald Trump will reportedly convene top national security officials at the White House on Monday evening to determine next steps on Venezuela.
The 5 p.m. ET Oval Office meeting is expected to include War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, sources told CNN.
Trump has upped his diplomatic, economic, and military pressure on Nicolás Maduro's regime in a weekend of heightened warnings, expanding U.S. military deployments in the Caribbean, and a sharply worded directive from Trump cautioning airlines, pilots, and criminal networks to avoid Venezuelan airspace.
The gathering comes amid new reporting that Trump personally told Maduro to flee the country to protect himself and his family.
"The answer is yes," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday when asked whether he had spoken with Maduro, declining to elaborate.
According to sources who spoke to the Miami Herald, Trump warned during a call brokered by Brazil, Qatar, and Turkey that Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores, and his son would be granted safe passage if they departed immediately.
The proposal collapsed after Washington rejected demands from Maduro's camp, including global amnesty, control over the armed forces during a transition, and a delayed resignation.
With no deal reached, Trump moved to tighten pressure further, declaring Venezuelan airspace "closed in its entirety" and signaling that U.S. land-based operations targeting drug-trafficking networks could begin "very soon."
The comments came as the administration designated the Cartel de los Soles — which U.S. officials say is run by Maduro and senior military leaders — as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, potentially unlocking expanded counterterrorism authorities.
Meanwhile, a powerful U.S. military presence continues to build near Venezuela, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, more than 10 warships, a nuclear submarine, and F-35 fighter jets — a posture that has fueled concerns of a direct confrontation.
Monday's White House meeting is expected to assess both military and diplomatic options as the administration signals it is entering a decisive phase of its campaign to pressure Maduro from power.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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