Trump says more U.S. attacks on Venezuela ‘will not be needed’ as ships remain

President Trump said he had canceled a "previously expected second Wave of Attacks" on Venezuela but that U.S. warships off the country's coast "will stay in place for safety and security purposes," praising cooperation from Venezuela's new leaders and the release of some political prisoners.

Mr. Trump called the release of prisoners "very important" and said it showed the interim government was working well with his administration. Seven political prisoners were freed on Thursday, and more were expected on Friday; Jorge Rodríguez, head of Venezuela's National Assembly, said the releases were being "made with sincere intentions toward peace." Rights groups estimate 800 to 900 political prisoners are incarcerated in Venezuela.

The White House said the releases were "one example of how the President is using maximum leverage," even as Mr. Trump has focused on giving U.S. companies access to Venezuela's oil. He was expected to meet executives from 14 oil companies and said they would invest at least $100 billion, while administration officials have outlined a broad, sparse plan to assume control of selling Venezuelan oil.

The U.S. military also seized the tanker Olina in the Caribbean in an operation launched from the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford, which Southern Command said was apprehended "without incident." Mr.

Key Topics

World, Donald Trump, Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, Maria Corina Machado, Gerald R. Ford