Overview
- President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One he is not considering strikes inside Venezuela, and a White House spokeswoman dismissed anonymously sourced reports of imminent action.
- The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. officials have identified Venezuelan military facilities allegedly tied to drug smuggling, while the Miami Herald said strikes could occur within days or hours, though no land attacks are confirmed.
- U.N. human-rights chief Volker Türk condemned U.S. airstrikes on suspected drug boats as unacceptable and potentially unlawful, calling for an investigation into the operations.
- The United States has expanded its regional posture with the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, additional warships, aircraft, and thousands of troops to support the anti-narcotics campaign.
- Since early September, officials have announced at least 14 lethal strikes on small boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, with news outlets reporting roughly 60 deaths, while members of Congress demand the administration’s legal rationale and greater transparency, and Trump has confirmed CIA covert authority in Venezuela.