Trump Orders Halt to Diplomatic Contact with Venezuela

President Donald Trump has canceled diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement with Venezuela, instructing his special envoy, Richard Grenell, to cease all outreach, *The New York Times_ reported on Monday.

The decision puts an end to the overtures Grenell had been leading with the Venezuelan government, which were intended *to explore potential negotiations_ between the two countries, according to sources cited by the newspaper.

The report states that the presidential order was communicated directly by Trump to Grenell and is to be applied immediately, *halting any ongoing diplomatic initiatives_ toward Venezuela.

This decision marks a significant shift in U.S. policy toward Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly accused the United States of attempting to oust him.

In a related context, since August, U.S. forces have destroyed at least five vessels in the Southern Caribbean, which they linked to drug trafficking, resulting in more than 20 deaths. President Trump has stated that the United States is in *a "non-international armed conflict"_ with cartels, thereby justifying the attacks.