Trump says he may open talks with Maduro amid US military buildup

President Trump said that he may open talks with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro amid U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean.

"We may be having some discussions with Maduro, and we'll see how that turns out," Trump told reporters on Sunday in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to Reuters. "They would like to talk."

When asked what it meant that Maduro was interested in talking, Trump said he didn't know, adding, "I talk to anybody."

Trump suggested that he would keep up the pressure on Maduro.

"We're stopping drug dealers and drugs from coming into our country," Trump said.

His comments came as the Defense Department announced another attack on an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific, in which it said three "narco-terrorists" were killed. This was the 21st known boat strike by the U.S. military since September, which have killed more than 80 people.

Earlier on Sunday, the Pentagon said that the U.S. Navy’s largest aircraft carrier, the Gerald R. Ford, with 5,000 military personnel and dozens of warplanes on board, and its strike group moved into the Caribbean. This is in addition to the eight warships, a nuclear submarine, and F-35 aircraft already sent to the region.

Unnamed senior Trump administration officials told the news outlet that they held three meetings at the White House last week to discuss options for possible military operations against Venezuela, including land strikes inside the country.

On Friday, Trump said that he "sort of made up my mind" on Venezuela, suggesting a decision could come soon.

The Venezuelan communications ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment on Trump's remarks Sunday.