Overview

• The Pentagon said two Venezuelan military aircraft flew near a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters, calling the action a highly provocative attempt to interfere with operations.
• U.S. forces destroyed a vessel on Sept. 2 in the southern Caribbean, with President Trump saying 11 alleged Tren de Aragua members were killed, though officials have not released details on the operation or the drugs purportedly aboard.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated similar actions will continue, as the U.S. maintains a sizable naval and amphibious presence near Venezuela.
• Legal and human-rights experts question the strike’s legality under maritime and U.S. law, and Congress has requested the administration’s formal justification and supporting evidence.
• Public claims linking Tren de Aragua to senior Venezuelan officials conflict with a classified National Intelligence Council assessment that reported no evidence of coordination.