Overview

• Trump ordered envoy Richard Grenell to cease all contacts with Nicolás Maduro's government, ending months of quiet backchannel efforts, according to the New York Times.
• U.S. forces have kept at least eight warships, a nuclear-powered attack submarine and more than 4,500 personnel in the southern Caribbean for counternarcotics operations.
• Since August, U.S. units have destroyed at least five suspected drug boats near Venezuela, with roughly 21 fatalities reported, as Trump touts a possible "phase two" that could shift operations onto land.
• Caracas says it warned Washington of a plan by "extremists" to place explosives at the U.S. embassy compound in Caracas and has intensified searches, protections and military drills.
• The State Department has not corroborated the alleged embassy threat and notes the United States has had no diplomatic presence in Caracas since 2019, while experts highlight legal and escalation risks.