Overview
- Pentagon officials ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group into the U.S. Southern Command area to “dismantle” transnational criminal organizations and expand surveillance and interdiction capacity.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a U.S. strike on Friday destroyed a suspected smuggling boat and killed six, bringing the tally to roughly 10 boat attacks and about 43 reported deaths since early September.
- U.S. officials say President Trump has authorized CIA covert operations in Venezuela, with proposals under consideration to target drug routes or facilities inside the country.
- President Nicolás Maduro denies U.S. allegations, accuses Washington of fabricating a war, and has overseen coastal defense exercises that Venezuelan authorities say are aimed at countering potential covert operations.
- The campaign has triggered regional and legal fallout, including U.S. sanctions on Colombia’s president Gustavo Petro, public objections from leaders such as Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum, and questions about the strikes’ legality and congressional authorization.