Overview
- Speaking in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said U.S. forces have the right to operate in the Western Hemisphere.
- Rubio said the maritime operations were not discussed with him at the G7 meetings and he rejected European criticism, arguing the EU cannot define international law for the United States.
- The Pentagon says at least 73 people were killed in recent actions near Venezuela and Colombia, describing those killed as narcotraffickers.
- France’s foreign minister condemned the operations as ignoring international law, and Russia’s parliament called for worldwide denunciation of U.S. actions.
- The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group has arrived in the region, adding a prominent U.S. naval presence.