Overview

• Vice President Delcy Rodríguez released the full letter, dated Sept. 6, in which Nicolás Maduro proposes resuming direct contacts through U.S. special envoy Richard Grenell.
• President Donald Trump declined to confirm receipt of the letter, telling reporters, “We’ll see what happens with Venezuela.”
• In the message, Maduro denies narcotrafficking ties and cites data claiming only 5% of Colombian drugs transit Venezuela, with authorities neutralizing about 70% of that flow.
• U.S. forces have expanded counternarcotics operations in the Caribbean, with at least four fast boats destroyed and more than a dozen deaths reported, including a strike noted by Dominican authorities.
• Venezuela has conducted military drills and mobilized militias, as Washington maintains pressure without publicly providing comprehensive evidence linking top officials to narcotrafficking.