Overview
- In a 60 Minutes interview, Trump said he doubts the U.S. will go to war and agreed Nicolás Maduro’s days as president are “numbered,” while refusing to discuss any potential land-strike plans.
- Aboard Air Force One, he rebuffed a question about “secret plans” for attacks and reiterated he has not made a decision on strikes inside Venezuela.
- Since early September, U.S. forces have sunk roughly 14–15 suspected drug-smuggling boats in international waters, killing at least 57–65 people, and Pentagon officials told lawmakers they cannot identify all those killed.
- The Pentagon has surged forces to the Caribbean, including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group, as reports from major outlets say land targets were identified inside Venezuela, a claim the White House disputes.
- The Senate is preparing a war-powers measure to limit hostilities as regional governments and rights experts question the evidence and legal basis for the lethal maritime campaign.