Overview
- U.S. Southern Command confirmed the carrier strike group’s entry into its area to boost detection, monitoring and interdiction of illicit actors.
- Since September, U.S. forces have struck roughly 20 vessels with about 76 people reported dead, and Washington has not presented public evidence linking targets to drug trafficking.
- Venezuela announced a nationwide “despliegue masivo” of 200,000 personnel, and the National Assembly approved a law to organize new national defense commands.
- The United Kingdom halted sharing maritime narcotics intelligence with Washington and Colombia suspended cooperation, while Russia condemned the strikes as unacceptable.
- Experts question using a supercarrier for antinarcotics operations and warn of legal and escalation risks if actions extend into territorial waters or onshore targets.