Overview
- President Donald Trump warned Nicolás Maduro that defiance would have consequences and said it would be “smart” for him to step down, reaffirming the maritime blockade of sanctioned tankers.
- The Pentagon has deployed roughly a dozen warships, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, and about 15,000 personnel in Caribbean waters, with recent seizures of the Centuries and Skipper and a reported pursuit of the Bella 1.
- U.N. human-rights experts said the partial blockade constitutes a prohibited use of force and cited at least 104 deaths in 28 maritime attacks since September tied to U.S. operations against alleged traffickers.
- At the Security Council, Mexico warned the U.S. buildup near Venezuela risks regional stability, urged restraint, and offered to facilitate dialogue in line with its nonintervention doctrine.
- China and Russia condemned Washington’s actions as unlawful at the U.N., while Maduro staged public festivities in Caracas and claimed strong Council backing as opposition leader María Corina Machado reported threats against political prisoners at El Rodeo.