Overview

• President Donald Trump warned Venezuelan aircraft that endanger U.S. forces will be shot down and told commanders they may act immediately if threatened.
• U.S. officials said Venezuelan jets overflew a Navy destroyer for a second time in two days, after the Pentagon labeled the initial pass near USS Jason Dunham highly provocative.
• The White House ordered 10 F-35 fighters to Puerto Rico to reinforce counternarcotics operations, adding to a reinforced naval presence in the southern Caribbean.
• Earlier this week, U.S. forces carried out a lethal strike on a vessel they say was tied to the Tren de Aragua, with 11 people reported dead, a move Caracas condemned.
• Venezuela has mobilized militias and denounced U.S. actions as a threat to its sovereignty, as Trump—who signed an order renaming the Pentagon the Department of War—declined to rule out further measures when asked about attacking cartels inside Venezuela.