Overview
- A new U.S. strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean produced the first reported survivors, with two people now in custody and at least two others killed.
- President Donald Trump said the target was a drug‑carrying submarine and confirmed he had authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela.
- Trump declined to say whether the CIA has authority to kill President Nicolás Maduro and said the U.S. is considering strikes on land inside Venezuela.
- The administration has told Congress it views the campaign as a non‑international armed conflict, even as legal experts and lawmakers question the operations’ legality and oversight.
- Venezuela has mobilized forces and appealed to the UN Security Council over the strikes, as reported tolls across the campaign have reached at least 28 dead.