Overview
- A Pentagon official confirmed a 20th strike this week on a boat in the Caribbean Sea that killed four people, bringing the toll to roughly 80 deaths and about 20 vessels destroyed since September.
- The Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel has provided a legal opinion reported to shield U.S. personnel from prosecution over the maritime strikes.
- The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group is now in the region with a U.S. footprint of roughly 15,000 personnel, while Venezuela has put forces on full readiness and announced a large-scale mobilization.
- Senior defense leaders briefed President Trump on updated options that include possible strikes on land inside Venezuela, according to multiple reports, with no final decision announced.
- Regional and allied fallout continues as Colombia suspends intelligence sharing with the U.S., France says the operations violate international law, the U.K. pause is reported by CNN but denied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the U.N. human-rights chief urges an investigation into possible extrajudicial killings.