Overview

• Adm. Daryl Caudle confirmed U.S. ships are deploying to waters off South America to support operations tied to drug cartels.
• Defense officials say seven warships plus a fast-attack submarine and three amphibious ships will carry more than 4,000 personnel, including about 2,200 Marines.
• Venezuela lodged a protest with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and has deployed warships, drones, and militia recruits, while sending 15,000 troops to the Colombian border.
• Experts and several governments dispute a unified “Cartel de los Soles” that Washington alleges Maduro leads, even as the U.S. maintains a $50 million reward for his capture.
• The White House has asked the Pentagon to draft contingency options, though analysts and U.S. officials characterize an invasion as unlikely.