Overview

• Vice President Delcy Rodríguez told diplomats that Nicolás Maduro has signed a decree enabling emergency powers if the U.S. attacks, but an official cited by AFP said the document has not been signed.
• The measure would permit mobilizing the armed forces and militias, securing or taking control of critical infrastructure, closing borders, and temporarily limiting certain rights, with legal groups urging immediate publication of the full text.
• Venezuela has placed its military on alert and promoted militia recruitment and weapons training as Caracas prepares for potential contingencies.
• U.S. forces have deployed warships and F-35s to the region and destroyed at least three suspected trafficking boats in recent operations that resulted in multiple deaths and were presented as counternarcotics actions.
• President Donald Trump said the U.S. will now monitor Venezuelan cartels by land, while Washington maintains pressure through criminal designations and a $50 million reward for information on Maduro even as back-channel contacts continue.