President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Venezuela on Saturday, threatening “incalculable” consequences unless the country takes back individuals he claims are prisoners and people from mental institutions now in the United States.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump alleged without evidence that Venezuelan authorities had “forced” such people into the US and claimed “thousands of people have been badly hurt, and even killed, by these ‘Monsters.'”
“GET THEM THE HELL OUT OF OUR COUNTRY, RIGHT NOW, OR THE PRICE YOU PAY WILL BE INCALCULABLE!” Trump wrote in all capital letters.
The ultimatum came one day after Trump announced another US military strike on alleged Venezuelan drug vessels in the Caribbean that killed three people, marking the latest escalation in increasingly hostile relations between the two countries.
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The Trump administration has simultaneously moved to strip legal protections from more than 300,000 Venezuelan migrants currently under Temporary Protected Status. On Friday, the Justice Department petitioned the Supreme Court for emergency intervention to overturn a federal judge’s ruling that had blocked the administration’s termination of these protections.
US naval forces have been positioned in Caribbean waters since late August, with officials citing efforts to combat drug trafficking operations. The deployment includes destroyers, submarines, and other military assets.
Earlier this month, US forces conducted an airstrike on a Venezuelan boat, killing 11 people. The attacks have prompted Venezuela to mobilize millions of militia members and deploy 25,000 troops to its borders.
Read: US Military Strikes Drug Vessel from Venezuela, Killing 11
The US has doubled the bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to $50 million, accusing him of leading drug trafficking operations and collaborating with criminal organizations including the Tren de Aragua gang.
Even amid escalating tensions, Maduro has sought dialogue, reportedly writing to Trump with calls for “direct and frank” discussions to “overcome media noise and fake news,” CNN reported.
Washington and Caracas have lacked formal diplomatic ties since 2019, when the US recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate president following disputed elections.
Venezuela has accused the US of waging an “undeclared war” in the Caribbean and called for a United Nations investigation into the boat strikes, describing them as “crimes against humanity.”
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