WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said he could extend anti-drug military operations to Mexico and Colombia, Politico reported Tuesday.

In an interview with Politico at the White House on Monday, Trump declined to rule out putting U.S. troops into Venezuela.

"I don't want to rule in or out. I don't talk about it," Trump said of deploying ground troops. "I don't want to talk to you about military strategy."

In recent months, Washington has deployed around a dozen warships, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, and about 15,000 troops to the Caribbean Sea. The region has not witnessed such a massive U.S. military presence for at least three decades.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly denounced Washington's so-called anti-drug operations as attempts to overthrow his government and expand U.S. military influence in Latin America. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has accused the U.S. government of "murder" for killing suspected drug traffickers at sea. ■