Overview
- U.S. forces boarded and seized the Russian-flagged tanker Bella 1 in the North Atlantic under a court order alleging it carried sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran, while Moscow demanded safe return of the crew.
- Trump said Venezuela will use proceeds from U.S.-managed oil sales exclusively to purchase American-made goods, asserted he would oversee the revenues, and announced sanction relaxations to facilitate oil exports as PDVSA confirmed talks.
- After threatening Colombia over narcotics, Trump said he spoke with President Gustavo Petro and invited him to the White House, even as he indicated U.S. oversight in Venezuela would last “much longer” than months.
- Maduro remains in U.S. custody after an initial Manhattan court appearance on narcoterrorism-related charges, with both he and his wife Cilia Flores pleading not guilty.
- Casualty figures from the January 3 attack are disputed, with Venezuelan officials citing about 100 dead including civilians and Cuban personnel, U.S. media estimating roughly 75, and Washington not releasing a number; separate rhetoric from White House-aligned figures about Greenland has further unsettled European allies.