Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan speaks during the Missile Defense Review announcement at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., January 17, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan on Tuesday declined to say whether an option is being considered to deploy 5,000 U.S. troops to Colombia but added he had not discussed that possibility with White House national security adviser John Bolton.

Bolton raised questions about U.S. intentions in Venezuela after he appeared at a briefing on Monday with a notepad containing the words “5,000 troops to Colombia,” which neighbors Venezuela.

“I haven’t discussed that with Secretary Bolton,” Shanahan told a news conference at the Pentagon.