Trump Reportedly Issued Ultimatum for Maduro to Leave Venezuela Amid Potential Military Operations

President Trump Issues Ultimatum to Venezuelan Leader Maduro as Tensions Escalate

President Donald Trump has delivered a stark ultimatum to Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, demanding his immediate resignation and warning that the country’s airspace is now considered “closed in its entirety,” according to a report by the Miami Herald.

The ultimatum came during a direct phone call between Washington and Caracas, where U.S. officials offered Maduro guaranteed evacuation for himself, his wife Cilia Flores, and their son — but only if the Venezuelan leader agreed to step down immediately.

The conversation reportedly reached an impasse when Maduro requested “global amnesty for any crimes he and his group had committed,” a demand U.S. officials rejected outright. Maduro also reportedly asked to retain control of the armed forces, similar to arrangements made in Nicaragua in 1991, and proposed allowing free elections in exchange.

According to sources familiar with the call, timing became a critical sticking point, with Washington demanding Maduro’s immediate resignation while Caracas refused. Following the failed negotiations, the Maduro government allegedly attempted to schedule another call with Washington but received no response.

Trump’s declaration regarding Venezuelan airspace represents a significant escalation in U.S. pressure on the Maduro regime. When asked by reporters aboard Air Force One if the move signaled an imminent strike, Trump cautioned against reading too much into the announcement.

Former Venezuelan diplomat Vanessa Neumann told Fox News Digital that military operations could begin soon. “The clearing of the airspace is an indication and a very clear public warning that missiles might be coming to take out command and control infrastructure or retaliatory infrastructure,” she said.

Neumann, who has worked with governments on countering transnational organized crime linked to Venezuela, explained that potential targets have been identified through years of covert operations on the ground. “This is a capture-or-kill scenario, but there’s a limit to how many people you can remove quickly,” she added.

The U.S. has recently intensified its campaign against Venezuela by officially designating the Cartel de los Soles, allegedly linked to Venezuela’s government, as a foreign terrorist organization. This cartel is accused of turning Venezuela’s main oil company into a narcotics trafficking and money laundering operation.

“They were using Venezuelan military jets to bring in cocaine from Colombia, process it in Venezuela, and then move it into Central America and then into Europe,” Neumann explained. “The Cartel de Los Soles is also a key collaborator and financier of Hezbollah, and some of the drug money has been used to fund terrorist attacks that have killed American citizens, even in the Middle East.”

The U.S. has also ramped up military and intelligence operations targeting drug-trafficking networks linked to Venezuela, including strikes on suspected narcotics boats.

Venezuela’s armed forces, once considered among the strongest in Latin America, have been severely weakened by years of corruption, international sanctions, defections, and lack of maintenance. “Their material is extremely old, decayed, and has not been serviced,” Neumann noted. “They’ve got junk from the Russians. The stuff they originally had from the Americans is decades old and has not been serviced.”

Neumann suggested the timing of U.S. pressure is strategic, as Maduro’s primary international backers — Russia and Iran — are both currently facing their own challenges. “Maduro is also weakened because his partners are weakened and have their own issues to deal with,” she said, adding that China would likely be unwilling to provide substantial support to Maduro given its broader regional interests.

Other high-ranking Venezuelan officials who may be targeted include Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, Diosdado Cabello, Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace, and Alexander Granko Arteaga, head of Venezuela’s counter-intelligence agency.

The escalating tensions come after years of Venezuelan citizens attempting to remove Maduro through democratic means. “The Venezuelan people have made it clear that they wanted Maduro out and fought democratically but lost,” Neumann said. “They voted in elections, protested peacefully, lobbied for sanctions, and lobbied for international support.”