Overview
- Colombia recalled its ambassador to Washington and convened its cabinet to seek a diplomatic response to the escalating dispute.
- President Trump labeled Gustavo Petro an “illegal drug leader,” froze economic aid and threatened tariffs, warning the United States could act on its own.
- U.S. forces sank at least six vessels in international waters off Venezuela, killing at least 28 people, while offering no public evidence about the boats’ cargo or occupants.
- The administration describes the campaign as an “armed conflict” against cartels, a rationale legal scholars challenge as lacking clear congressional authorization and footing in international law.
- Trump signaled potential strikes inside Venezuela after saying decades of Coast Guard interdictions had fallen short, though operations to date have been at sea.