U.S. Kills Three in New Caribbean Strike as Buildup Near Venezuela Deepens

Overview

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a U.S. strike in international waters destroyed a suspected drug boat and killed three, sharing video and vowing the operations will continue.
• Since September, roughly 15 strikes have destroyed at least 16 vessels and left at least 64 people dead, according to official tallies and media reports.
• Washington has surged forces to the region, with destroyers, F‑35s in Puerto Rico, bomber flyovers and a nuclear attack submarine, and the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group expected to arrive next week, The Washington Post reported.
• President Trump publicly denied planning attacks inside Venezuela even as U.S. outlets reported potential targets had been identified, and he later said he believes Nicolás Maduro’s days in power are numbered.
• Regional fallout is widening as the UN rights chief decries possible extrajudicial killings, Trinidad and Tobago orders maximum alert, and Venezuela seeks military support from Russia, China and Iran while retaliating diplomatically against Port of Spain.