Overview

• Three U.S. guided‑missile destroyers are already patrolling the region and an amphibious ready group with more than 4,000 personnel is expected to enter Latin American waters next week, with exact operating areas undisclosed.
• Naval leaders say the mission targets drug‑trafficking networks tied to Venezuela and provides flexibility for commanders, while the White House declined to preview any potential strikes and reiterated readiness to use any element of U.S. power.
• Venezuela filed a formal complaint to the UN over what it calls a hostile escalation, citing the reported arrival of the cruiser USS Lake Erie and the fast‑attack nuclear‑propulsion submarine USS Newport News and arguing the move violates regional norms.
• President Nicolás Maduro urged militia enlistment and asserted the country will not be invaded, even as his government coordinates security with Colombia.
• Colombia announced the deployment of roughly 25,000 troops to Catatumbo in a binational push against criminal groups, as France signaled cooperation by sending naval assets to Guadeloupe and some regional governments voiced support for U.S. counternarcotics efforts.