Overview
- U.S. Southern Command said the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group is now in the Caribbean, joining a growing naval presence under the newly named Operation Southern Spear.
- President Donald Trump was briefed on options for operations inside Venezuela and said he had "sort of" made up his mind, according to his remarks and CNN reporting.
- Publicly reported U.S. strikes since September total about 20 incidents with roughly 80 deaths, and officials have not released evidence the targeted boats were trafficking drugs.
- Caracas has ordered large-scale mobilization, including 200,000 troops, as President Nicolás Maduro appeals to the American public for peace and warns against an invasion.
- U.S. forces began another round of joint drills with Trinidad and Tobago near Venezuela as regional and allied pushback grows, with British and Canadian intelligence cooperation reportedly curtailed over legal concerns.