Overview
- President Donald Trump said he could authorize attacks inside Mexico against drug cartels and stated he would be proud to do so, citing U.S. knowledge of traffickers’ routes and locations.
- Trump affirmed that all options remain on the table for Venezuela and indicated he may speak with Nicolás Maduro.
- The U.S. has deployed the USS Gerald R. Ford and a large naval force to the Caribbean, with roughly 12,000–15,000 personnel positioned under the counternarcotics push.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the planned Nov. 24 designation of the Cártel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, alleging ties to Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials.
- Reports based on Pentagon communiqués count about 21 lethal strikes on small vessels and roughly 83 deaths, as Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum urges dialogue and questions the lack of presented proof; Maduro publicly invites a face‑to‑face meeting with Trump.