{"id":11232,"date":"2026-01-04T14:01:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T19:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greatamericanewsdesk.com\/?p=11232"},"modified":"2026-01-04T14:01:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T19:01:46","slug":"trump-sends-ultimatum-to-maduro-allies-as-u-s-signals-end-to-negotiations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greatamericanewsdesk.com\/foreign-affairs\/trump-sends-ultimatum-to-maduro-allies-as-u-s-signals-end-to-negotiations\/njackson\/2026\/01\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Sends Ultimatum to Maduro Allies as U.S. Signals End to Negotiations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

President Donald Trump has delivered a blunt message to Venezuelan strongman Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and his inner circle: cooperate with the United States\u2014or step aside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fox News senior foreign correspondent Benjamin Hall revealed <\/a>Sunday that Trump personally warned Maduro\u2019s allies that they must either \u201csurrender or play ball,\u201d underscoring what the administration describes as a decisive shift away from diplomacy and toward direct action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Hall, President Trump spoke directly with Maduro roughly a week before Saturday\u2019s strike in Caracas. During that call, Trump reportedly issued a clear ultimatum demanding Maduro\u2019s surrender. Maduro, Trump said, \u201cwas not willing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hall noted that while Maduro has now been removed, several senior figures within the Venezuelan regime remain aligned with him, presenting an ongoing challenge for U.S. policymakers seeking stability in the region and an end to what they describe as narco-terrorist activity emanating from the country.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Operation Absolute Resolve – January 3rd, 2026
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That message was reinforced by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who made clear that the Trump administration has no intention of tolerating continued obstruction from Venezuela\u2019s remaining leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cPresident Trump is done negotiating. He proved that a couple of days ago, that he is a man of action, that when someone is threatening the United States, he will defend it with every resource that we have, and he’ll continue to do that,\u201d Noem said on Fox News Sunday<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Noem explained that Trump\u2019s communications with Venezuela\u2019s vice president were deliberately direct and unambiguous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cHis conversations now with the vice president in Venezuela are very matter-of-fact and very clear: \u2018You can lead, or you can get out of the way because we’re not going to allow you to continue to subvert our American influence and our need to have a free country like Venezuela to work with rather than to have dictators in place who perpetuate crimes and drug trafficking,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Her remarks followed the Trump administration\u2019s high-profile operation on Saturday that resulted in the capture of Nicol\u00e1s Maduro\u2014an unprecedented move that sparked intense debate in Washington. While Democrats and some Republicans raised questions about the legality of the action and the long-term implications for Venezuela, supporters of the operation argued it sent a long-overdue message to hostile regimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Joint Statement from the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration

The Department of Justice, working in close coordination with the Department of War, the Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the\u2026<\/p>— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 4, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>