Overview

• President Donald Trump said a U.S. strike on a small vessel in international waters off Venezuela killed six suspected narcotraffickers, the fifth lethal maritime attack since September, bringing reported deaths to 27.
• Trump said the United States is "looking to land" operations against Venezuelan cartels and stated he authorized secret CIA actions in the country, while refusing to say whether they include removing Maduro, as reported by the New York Times.
• U.S. deployments in the southern Caribbean now include about eight warships, a nuclear submarine and thousands of personnel, with officials framing the buildup as part of a counter-narcotics and border-security strategy.
• Caracas has ordered large-scale drills, mobilized militias and expanded civilian weapons training, with senior officials saying arms are being placed "in the hands of the people" for national defense.
• Human Rights Watch and several U.N. Security Council members questioned the legality of the boat strikes, China publicly opposed external interference, and members of the U.S. Congress from both parties pressed for the legal basis and oversight of the operations.