Overview
- Trump told NBC News he does not rule out a war with Venezuela and signaled more tanker seizures after ordering a “total and complete” blockade on sanctioned vessels.
- U.S. forces reported two additional lethal strikes on suspected drug boats this week, lifting the death toll from the maritime campaign to at least 104 since September.
- A newly enacted defense policy law compels the Pentagon to provide Congress unedited footage of the boat attacks by conditioning part of the defense secretary’s travel budget.
- Rubio accused Maduro of working with FARC dissidents and the ELN and highlighted stepped-up security cooperation with Mexico and partners such as Panama, Costa Rica and El Salvador.
- Venezuela denounced the U.S. accusations as a bid to seize its resources, with diplomats saying the U.N. Security Council will address the crisis next week and Washington announcing new sanctions on Maduro associates.