Nicolás Maduro has become the central figure in a rapidly escalating confrontation with the United States that mixes diplomatic pressure, heightened U.S. military deployments in the Caribbean and frequent public denunciations from Caracas.United States officials and regional reporting say advisers close to Donald Trump have advocated a campaign of covert action, targeted strikes and asset seizures, while the United States cites drug trafficking as part of its rationale and the seizure of the tanker known as the Skipper has intensified regional alarm.Aleksandr Lukashenko said on a United States news channel that Maduro would be welcome in Belarus if he were forced from office and called for a peaceful resolution, while the EU extended sanctions and analysts warned that sustained escalation could destabilize the Caribbean and Latin America.