Overview
- Southcom reported a new strike on Saturday that killed three people on a suspected smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific, bringing the tally to roughly 21 attacks with at least 83 deaths since September.
- The State Department says it will designate the alleged ‘Cartel de los Soles’ as a foreign terrorist organization effective November 24, asserting links to Nicolás Maduro that he denies.
- The US Navy confirmed the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford with thousands of sailors and combat aircraft to join regional forces under Operation Southern Spear.
- President Donald Trump signaled potential talks with Maduro even as he maintains pressure, having also confirmed authorizing covert CIA activity in Venezuela.
- Caracas is mobilizing defensive measures and, according to Reuters reporting, preparing plans for prolonged resistance, while the United Nations urges restraint and Latin American governments remain split.