By: Express Web DeskSeptember 23, 2025 01:23 AM IST 2 min readUS accuses Maduro of being the leader of the Cartel of the Suns, a Venezuelan drug cartel. (Photo: Reuters)White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday confirmed that the US had received a letter from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro seeking direct talks, following the recent crackdown on boats allegedly carrying drugs.“We have seen this letter. Frankly, I think there were a lot of lies that were repeated by Maduro in that letter, and the administration’s position on Venezuela has not changed,” Leavitt said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. (Photo: AP)“We view the Maduro regime as illegitimate, and the president has clearly shown that he’s willing to use any and all means necessary to stop the illegal trafficking of deadly drugs from the Venezuelan regime into the United States of America,” she added.While Leavitt did not provide the details of Maduro’s letter, according to a Reuters report, the Venezuelan strongman offered to engage in direct talks with the Trump administration and rejected allegations that his country has played a major role in trafficking drugs. President Donald Trump, who ordered the strikes, has stated the vessels were transporting illegal narcotics. (Photo: Reuters)In recent weeks, the US has blown up a total of four boats allegedly linked to Venezuelan drug cartels in the Caribbean. President Donald Trump, who ordered the strikes, has stated the vessels were transporting illegal narcotics into the United States, a charge the Venezuelan regime has denied.The US has blamed Maduro for having direct links to drug trafficking and accused him of being the leader of the Cartel of the Suns (Cartel de los Soles) a Venezuelan drug cartel.In August, the US State Department had announced that it had increased the reward from $25 million to $50 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Maduro, who became president of Venezuela in 2013.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Nicolas MaduroVenezuela