Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro offered to engage in direct talks with the administration of US President Donald Trump days after the first US strike on a boat from the South American country that Trump says was carrying drug traffickers, Reuters reports.

In a letter to Trump that was viewed by Reuters on Saturday and published by Venezuela on Sunday, Maduro rejected US claims that Venezuela played a big role in drug trafficking, noting that just 5% of drugs produced in Colombia are shipped through Venezuela - of which he said 70% were neutralized and destroyed by Venezuelan authorities.

"President, I hope that together we can defeat the falsehoods that have sullied our relationship, which must be historic and peaceful," Maduro wrote in the letter. "These and other issues will always be open for a direct and frank conversation with your special envoy [Richard Grenell] to overcome media noise and fake news."

He noted that Grenell had helped quickly resolve earlier allegations that Venezuela was refusing to take back migrants, adding, "To date, this channel has functioned flawlessly."

Maduro's letter was dated September 6, four days after a US strike on a vessel that the Trump administration has claimed, without evidence, was carrying drug traffickers. The strike killed 11 people who Trump said were members of the Tren de Aragua gang and engaged in drug trafficking.

After publishing the letter on Sunday, the Venezuelan government confirmed it was given to an intermediary on September 6.

Maduro has repeatedly alleged the US is hoping to drive him from power. Trump this week denied he was interested in regime change, but Washington last month doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest to $50 million, accusing him of links to drug trafficking and criminal groups.

Maduro reiterated his denial in his letter to Trump.

"This is the most egregious instance of disinformation against our nation, intended to justify an escalation to armed conflict that would inflict catastrophic damage across the entire continent," he wrote in his letter to Trump.

In his letter, Maduro said he had and would continue to communicate with Grenell, who helped organize the deportation flights, some directly to Caracas and others via Honduras.