US President Donald Trump said the United States would soon launch strikes on targets inside Venezuela, amid escalating tensions in the Caribbean. Dozens of people have been killed in recent weeks as the US military conducts operations in the wider maritime region against vessels that Washington claims are used by drug traffickers.

We're going to start doing these attacks on land as well, he said during a cabinet meeting. We know where they live. We know where the 'bad guys' live and we're going to start very soon . Anyone who does this [ed. drug trafficking] and sells it into our country is a target of attack, Trump said.

Washington has deployed the world's largest aircraft carrier ( USS Gerald R. Ford ) to the Caribbean, accompanied by destroyers, landing ships, a submarine, thousands of marines and advanced fighter jets, officially as part of the anti-drug operation.

On Sunday, the US president confirmed that he had spoken by phone in recent days with his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro, who accuses him of seeking to overthrow him so that the US could gain access to Venezuela's oil reserves. Venezuela has huge oil reserves of 303 billion barrels, about a fifth of the world's reserves, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

Yesterday's Miami Herald reported that during a phone call between the two leaders, which likely took place on November 21, Donald Trump reportedly gave Nicolas Maduro an ultimatum, asking him to immediately step down from power. According to the same report, the Venezuelan leader refused, while demanding amnesty for himself and his allies.

You can save yourself and those closest to you, but you must leave the country now, Trump reportedly said, offering Maduro, his wife and son a safe exit, but only if he agrees to step down immediately.