Overview
- U.S. Southern Command said forces apprehended the tanker Veronica in a pre-dawn Caribbean operation, the sixth Venezuela-linked vessel seized in recent weeks.
- President Donald Trump and acting leader Delcy Rodríguez held their first known conversation since Maduro’s capture, describing a long, positive call that covered oil, trade, minerals and security.
- The Senate blocked a war-powers measure by a 51–50 procedural vote, with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie after two Republicans reversed positions under White House pressure.
- Venezuela continues releasing detainees as counts diverge, with the government claiming 406 freed since December and NGOs reporting far fewer, including new releases of journalists and confirmation from a U.S. official that some Americans are among those out.
- Trump is set to meet opposition figure María Corina Machado at the White House today after praising Rodríguez and signaling ongoing U.S. engagement with interim authorities.