Trump calls off diplomatic outreach to Venezuela, US official says

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump has called off efforts to reach a diplomatic agreement with Venezuela and told his special envoy Richard Grenell to stop all outreach, a senior U.S. official said on Monday.

The news, which was first reported by the New York Times, follows a series of military strikes on vessels carrying drugs near Venezuela. Trump told Congress that the U.S. is engaged in "a non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels.

Although Trump is reportedly considering strikes inside the South American country, the U.S. official told Reuters that the president has not yet determined whether to advance his military campaign to a second phase.

Trump delivered the message to Grenell during a meeting in the Oval Office last Thursday with senior military leaders, the senior official said.

Trump on Sunday told U.S. service members that U.S. strikes on vessels off the coast of Venezuela had halted the flow of drugs by sea and the U.S. would now "have to start looking about the land." No further details were released by the White House.

Tensions between Washington and Caracas have intensified since Trump returned to the White House in January with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro denying U.S. allegations that drugs were being produced in the country, and claiming that the U.S. is hoping to drive him from power.

Trump has played down the possibility of a regime change in the South American country.

In August, Washington doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest to $50 million, accusing him of links to drug trafficking and criminal groups that Maduro denies.