Overview

• Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said three days of exercises on La Orchila will involve 2,500 troops, 12 ships, 22 aircraft and about 20 small boats, with amphibious landings, air defenses, drones and electronic warfare activities.
• President Donald Trump has announced multiple strikes on small vessels he describes as narco‑terrorist boats, with at least 14 people killed across incidents on September 2 and mid‑September, though the administration has not released verifiable operational evidence.
• Human Rights Watch labeled the killings unlawful and UN experts condemned them as extrajudicial, while some Pentagon lawyers have questioned the legal basis even as the White House and Defense Department insist the operations comply with U.S. and international law.
• Caracas accused the U.S. Navy of boarding a Venezuelan tuna boat in its exclusive economic zone and alleged a DEA “false‑flag” related to a 3.7‑ton cocaine seizure, framing U.S. actions as a threat to sovereignty and a pretext for regime change.
• Venezuela showcased Russian‑made Su‑30 fighters equipped with Kh‑31 anti‑ship missiles, and China signaled diplomatic support for Caracas as reports indicated a sizable U.S. naval presence, including destroyers, a cruiser, an amphibious ship and a submarine.