US President Donald Trump has reportedly told his advisers that he is willing to speak directly with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
No date has yet been set for a call, news outlet Axios said on Monday, quoting unidentified administration officials.
The Trump administration has referred to Mr Maduro – who has been in power since the death of Hugo Chavez in 2013 – as a "narco-terrorist" and accused him of strong ties to criminal groups.
The US has designated the Venezuela-linked Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles groups as foreign terrorist organisations.
The State Department said that Mr Maduro and other high-ranking people lead Cartel de los Soles, and Mr Trump said the designation would allow the US to target the Venezuelan leader's assets.
Officials quoted by Axios said that there is currently no plan to remove Mr Maduro from power. And although Mr Trump has floated the idea of ground strikes or worse against Venezuela, his willingness to speak with Mr Maduro directly indicates he will probably hold back, at least for now.
Mr Maduro, however, is taking no chances. The Financial Times reported last week that he has reduced his public appearances – choosing his audiences when he does appear – and increased his security in recent weeks.
Tension in the Caribbean continues to intensify amid increased US military activity in the region.
The US has carried out strikes on fast boats crossing international waters, claiming they are carrying drugs. More than 80 people have been killed in the strikes.
A military build-up in the region has raised concerns that the US is considering regime change in Venezuela.
Washington has sent one of its largest forces to the Caribbean in decades, with the USS Gerald R Ford carrier strike group and other assets posted near the Venezuelan coast.
Gen Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and President Donald Trump’s primary military adviser, visited American troops stationed in Puerto Rico on Monday.
And Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth is expected to travel to Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, and on Wednesday meet the country’s top leaders. The aim of his visit is to “to strengthen defence relationships and reaffirm America’s commitment to defend the homeland", the Pentagon said.
Venezuela, meanwhile, has accused the US of carrying out extrajudicial killings with impunity, and says that its ultimate goal is taking possession of the country's oil reserves.
The Opec member has the largest proven oil reserves in the world. While it produced about 1.1 million barrels per day on average this year – less than a third of its all-time high in the late 1990s – the decline is mostly due to ageing infrastructure, lack of investment and international sanctions.
"They want Venezuela’s oil and gas reserves. For nothing, without paying," the country's Oil Minister, Delcy Rodriguez, said on Monday.
