WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump spoke by phone last week with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro, The New York Times reported Friday.

Citing multiple alleged sources with knowledge of the matter, The New York Times said the leaders discussed a possible meeting between them.

There are no plans at the moment for such a meeting, one of the sources said, according to the report.

The phone call, which included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, came days before a State Department designation of Maduro as the leader of what the administration considers a "foreign terrorist organization," the Cartel del los Soles, came into effect.

The US has for months been expanding military operations across Latin America, deploying Marines, warships, fighter and bomber jets, submarines and drones amid speculation that the US could launch an attack on Venezuela.

So far, the US military has carried out 21 attacks on suspected drug-smuggling vessels, resulting in the deaths of at least 83 people whom the administration has described as “narco-terrorists."

On Thursday, Trump said the US will “very soon” start taking action to stop suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers on land.

"You probably noticed that people aren't wanting to be delivering by sea, and we'll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that's going to start very soon. We warn them: Stop being poison to our country," Trump virtually told military service members.