Overview
- The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its escorts are moving from the Mediterranean toward the Caribbean to reinforce U.S. forces near Venezuela.
- U.S. Southern Command released video showing the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit conducting amphibious landing and infiltration training in Puerto Rico.
- The Pentagon confirmed an airstrike on a suspected drug‑smuggling vessel in international waters that killed three people, with reporting tallying roughly 64–65 deaths across similar raids since early September.
- Reuters-documented refurbishment at the former Roosevelt Roads naval base and upgrades at airports in Puerto Rico and St. Croix point to preparations for sustained operations in the region.
- Russia condemned what it called excessive U.S. force as a senior Duma official referenced potential missile deliveries to Caracas, while Trump denied an imminent attack even as he said Maduro’s “days are numbered” and the Justice Department told Congress the raids fall outside War Powers constraints.