Overview

• A U.S. representative said seven warships and a nuclear submarine are operating in the Caribbean near Venezuela or are expected there next week.
• Venezuela lodged a formal complaint to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, alleging a UN Charter violation and branding the deployment a propaganda operation to justify intervention.
• Reported vessels include destroyers USS Jason Dunham, USS Gravely and USS Sampson, as well as the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima and the nuclear submarine USS Newport News.
• President Donald Trump signaled readiness to use every element of American power to block narcotics, while the Justice Department accuses Nicolás Maduro of involvement in international drug trafficking and recent U.S. terror designations permit military action against listed groups.
• The Pentagon has not specified the ships’ mandate, and separate reporting notes continued U.S.-Venezuela coordination on deportation flights despite the naval presence.