A deal that would sate the Trump administration and leave Mr Maduro in power is difficult to imagine; so is Mr Maduro voluntarily stepping down. Much depends on what Mr Trump thinks is the best way to get a headline-grabbing win: a deal secured through gunboat intimidation, or dramatic but limited strikes to unseat—or even kill—Mr Maduro.

Trump reveals Maduro wants to open talks with US amid Venezuela tensions. President discusses potential diplomatic discussions while addressing cartel threats.

"I can’t tell you what it would be, but I’ve sort of made up my mind," Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Nov. 14.

Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro has doubled down on calls for peace as U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly mulls over options for military operations inside the country and places an enormous amount of firepower close to Venezuela's coast.

U.S. strikes have killed at least 80 people in 20 attacks on small boats that the U.S. has accused of transporting narcotics in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, since early September.

President Donald Trump encouraged House Republicans to vote this week to release more files related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as US tensions with Venezuela grow. Follow here for the latest live updates.

But Venezuela is not Panama. Panama had 2.5 million people; Venezuela has nearly 30 million. Panama is tiny; Venezuela spans a territory the size of Texas and Oklahoma combined. The US had deep knowledge of Panamanian politics and faced minimal armed resistance;