Overview
- The State Department confirmed on Nov. 24 that the Cártel de los Soles is now listed as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, a step that criminalizes material support, enables asset freezes and strengthens paths for prosecutions and extraditions.
- A sizeable U.S. deployment remains near Venezuela, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, multiple warships, combat aircraft and roughly 8,000 personnel, with Joint Chiefs chair Gen. Dan Caine set to visit Puerto Rico and a Navy vessel.
- Reporting has documented 83 deaths in 21 strikes on small boats described as narcolanchas in Caribbean and nearby Pacific waters, intensifying questions about the evidence and accountability for the operations.
- Following an FAA advisory citing increased military activity, several carriers paused flights to Venezuela, even as some airlines continued service despite calls to avoid air links.
- Regional leaders including Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Spain’s Pedro Sánchez urged dialogue and respect for international law, Venezuela rejected the label as a fabrication, and tensions grew in Latin America with Peru’s president weighing entry into Mexico’s embassy and Mexico facing nationwide highway blockades.