Overview

• Venezuela’s vice president published a Sept. 6 letter in which Nicolás Maduro offers “direct and frank” talks via U.S. envoy Richard Grenell, a channel Caracas says has worked before.
• Reuters reported it reviewed the letter, which also invites discussions on repatriations and disputes U.S. claims about Venezuelan involvement in narcotrafficking.
• Maduro rejects the allegations as false and says only 5% of Colombian drugs transit Venezuela, claiming authorities neutralize about 70% of that flow.
• Asked about the outreach, President Trump declined to confirm receipt and said, “We’ll see what happens with Venezuela.”
• U.S. counternarcotics deployments remain active, with four fast boats sunk since August and reported fatalities, while deportation flights continue, totaling more than 8,000 Venezuelans returned according to Reuters.