Overview
- U.S. Southern Command said Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a Dec. 31 strike on two boats, reporting three deaths on one vessel and two on the other, with the location undisclosed and the boats described as transiting known narcotrafficking routes.
- Media tallies credit the U.S. maritime operations since September with at least 115 deaths across roughly 30 to 36 attacks, drawing calls from the U.N. human-rights chief for probes into possible extrajudicial executions.
- U.S. outlets reported that the CIA carried out a December drone strike on a Venezuelan port facility allegedly used by the Tren de Aragua group, and Nicolás Maduro said he may address the alleged incident in the coming days.
- Washington has tightened economic pressure by blocking or confiscating tankers and designating additional vessels as blocked property, alongside broader restrictions on transporting Venezuelan crude.
- Inside Venezuela, a relatives’ group reported 87 releases from Tocorón prison on Jan. 1 with ongoing judicial controls, and a U.S. official said at least five Americans have been detained in recent months.