U.S. officials' messaging about the country has dovetailed with the administration's shifting policy priorities, a Miami Herald analysis shows.

WASHINGTON (TNND) — President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he had spoken with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro amid bipartisan backlash over reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered all crew members aboard suspected drug smuggling boats on Sept. 2 to be killed.

Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro made his first public appearance in days on Sunday, ending speculation that he had fled the country amid heightened tensions with the United States.

A massive military escalation is unfolding in the Caribbean Sea, as the United States deploys F-18 Super Hornet fighter jets from the USS Gerald R. Ford supercarrier, simulating strike missions on Venezuelan targets.

Venezuela’s government said it “forcefully rejects” Trump’s claim about closing the airspace and that it was a “colonial threat” intended to undermine the country’s “territorial integrity, aeronautical security and full sovereignty.”

The United States continued its pressure campaign against Venezuela on Saturday as President Donald Trump issued a broad directive on social media, warning airlines, pilots and criminal networks to avoid Venezuelan airspace.

Venezuela doesn’t play a large role in the drug trade to the United States, so what is motivating the massive military buildup? Julian E. Barnes, who reports on intelligence and international security,

The US is already facing a war from Venezuelan drug traffickers and narco-terrorists who are helping to smuggle fentanyl, opioids, cocaine and more into America, Sen. Dave McCormick warned on

President Donald Trump will hold a meeting at the White House on Monday evening about next steps on Venezuela, sources familiar with the matter told CNN, as the administration intensifies its pressure campaign on the country.

President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered “closed in its entirety” as the United States continues to pressure the country's leader, President Nicolás Maduro, to step down.

Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have reached a level not seen in years. Military movements, political ultimatums, and escalating accusations are fueling fears of a possible US strike inside the country.