Trump not ruling out attack on Venezuela - report

U.S. President Donald Trump is not ruling out a possibility of war with Venezuela, he told NBC News in an interview.

"I don’t rule it out, no," Trump said, addressing the corresponding question.

At the same time the U.S. leader declined to clarify whether U.S. strikes on Venezuelan vessels could directly lead to war. But he confirmed that the U.S. intends to carry out new seizures of tankers.

"If they’re foolish enough to be sailing along, the tankers will be sailing along back into one of our harbors," Trump said.

Washington has accused Venezuelan authorities of not doing enough to combat drug smuggling. According to the New York Times, Trump has allowed the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela.

As reported by The New York Times in August, Trump signed a classified directive on the use of military force against Latin American drug cartels. After this significant additional U.S. military forces were deployed to the Caribbean Sea.