Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro brandishes a sword during an event at the military academy in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)
"Second, they asked to retain control of the armed forces — similar to what happened in Nicaragua in ’91 with Violeta Chamorro. In return, they would allow free elections."
The final issue was timing, according to the outlet, as Washington demanded that Maduro resign immediately – but Caracas refused.
Trump went on to announce Saturday that Venezuelan airspace would be considered "closed in its entirety."
The Herald also reported that the Maduro government tried to schedule another call to Washington but received no response.
According to a defense expert familiar with the country’s military and state-linked cartel ties, Maduro and key players in his regime could now face their most serious threat yet.
"I think the operations will start imminently," former Venezuelan diplomat Vanessa Neumann told Fox News Digital.
"The clearing of the airspace is an indication and a very clear public warning that missiles might be coming to take out command and control infrastructure or retaliatory infrastructure," Neumann said. "This will not be like breaking a jar into a thousand pieces, this is where you can lift the concentration of power, and it's easier to manage."
"The targets have been identified through covert operations over the last several years by people on the ground," she continued. "So they're well-mapped. This is a capture-or-kill scenario, but there's a limit to how many people you can remove quickly."
On Sunday, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One not to "read anything into" his declaring Venezuela's airspace closed when asked if a strike was imminent.
"Maduro also doesn't have that many options, and his military is very weak," she warned. "You can't go after 30 people simultaneously, who are spread all around, but certainly high on the list would be Maduro himself."
TRUMP PUSHES PEACE IN EUROPE, PRESSURE IN THE AMERICAS — INSIDE THE TWO-FRONT GAMBLE
Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro was reportedly told he must leave Venezuela to save himself and his family. (Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)
"Jet pilots were making a lot of money off that, and they've tortured people. They target people, anybody who tell on them, they’re disappeared," Neuman said. "They’re now one of the prime drug trafficking networks into the United States and Europe, and use their military positions, including their military-to-military relations, to grow and accelerate those movements."
In fact, in September, the European Parliament also voted in favor of the EU designating Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organization.
"The Cartel de Los Soles is also a key collaborator and financier of Hezbollah and some of the drug money has been used to fund terrorist attacks that have killed American citizens, even in the Middle East," added Neuman, CEO of Asymmetrica Group, which specializes in defense cooperation.
The U.S. has also ramped up a military and intelligence campaign targeting drug-trafficking networks linked to Venezuela, including strikes on suspected narcotics boats.
TRUMP’S STRIKE ON CARTEL VESSEL OFF VENEZUELA SENDS WARNING TO MADURO: ‘NO SANCTUARY’
Government loyalists hold a poster of the late former President Hugo Chavez outside the presidential palace during a rally in support of President Nicolás Maduro's reelection one month after the presidential vote, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)
Neuman identified others in the regime who may be targeted, including Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, Diosdado Cabello, Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace and Alexander Granko Arteaga, head of Venezuela’s counter-intelligence agency, the DGCIM.
"One of the reasons Granko is an important figure is that he's one of the reasons why they haven't capitulated and why there has not been a military uprising," Neuman explained.
"It's because of the brutality of the counter-intelligence that they do to their own military, and hundreds of soldiers are tortured. That said, the Venezuelan people have made it clear that they wanted Maduro out and fought democratically but lost," she added.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
"They voted in elections, protested peacefully, lobbied for sanctions, and lobbied for international support," Neuman said.
Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-gave-maduro-ultimatum-flee-venezuela-land-operations-loom-report