Venezuela

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Hegseth: Military Destroyed Another Boat, Killing 4 Aboard
US Strike Kills 4 Off Venezuela
Oct 3, 2025 4:55 PM CDT

US Strike Kills 4 Off Venezuela

Hegseth provides no evidence that boat was carrying narcotics

(Newser) - The US military killed four men on a boat in international waters near Venezuela on Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in a post, claiming without presenting evidence that the vessel was involved in smuggling narcotics and those on board were linked to terrorist organizations. It was the fourth...

Pentagon Looks at Options to Strike Venezuelan Drug Targets

Operation could begin in weeks, insiders say

(Newser) - The Pentagon is working on plans to attack drug traffickers inside Venezuela, an operation that could begin in weeks, people familiar with the operation told NBC News . President Trump posted last weekend that military had destroyed a boat in the Caribbean that he said was carrying narco-traffickers and drugs for...

Colombia's President Slams US Boat Strikes as 'Murder'

Petro demands answers as US strikes spark legal and ethical debate

(Newser) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro has labeled recent US airstrikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean as an "act of tyranny," raising pointed questions about their legality and human cost. In a BBC interview , Petro argued that using military force against such vessels—reportedly resulting in 17...

Trump Says Military Carried Out 2nd Strike on Venezuelan Boat

President says strike killed '3 male terrorists'

(Newser) - President Trump announced that the US military again targeted a boat he says was carrying drugs from Venezuela, killing three aboard the vessel.
  • "This morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the
...

Venezuela Disputes US Claim on Boat Strike That Killed 11

Caracas rejects US drug claims as military tensions escalate

(Newser) - Venezuela says none of the 11 people killed in last week's US military boat strike in the Caribbean were members of the notorious Tren de Aragua gang—despite US assertions to the contrary. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced on state TV that local investigations found no link to...

In Venezuela, It's Christmas in October

Nicolas Maduro moves up the holiday to Oct. 1, citing the need to boost his country's need for 'joy'

(Newser) - Nicolas Maduro is bringing good tidings to Venezuelans early this year, with Christmas festivities kicking off on Oct. 1—months ahead of the traditional December date. Maduro says the early kickoff is meant to inject some "joy" into a country facing mounting tensions with the United States, reports...

Rand Paul Says Vance Remarks Show 'Disdain for Human Life'

VP calls strike on Venezuelan boat 'best use of our military'; GOP senator slams lack of due process

(Newser) - Sen. Rand Paul publicly rebuked Vice President JD Vance after Vance praised a US military strike that destroyed a Venezuelan boat allegedly used by drug traffickers, killing 11 people. Vance had identified those on the boat as "cartel members" and called the attack the "highest and best...

Court: Trump Can't Use 1798 Law to Justify Deportations

Judges say mass migration does not equal armed invasion in 2-1 ruling

(Newser) - A federal appeals court has ruled against the Trump administration's attempt to use a centuries-old wartime law to quickly deport Venezuelan migrants, a move that will likely push the case to the Supreme Court. In a 2-1 decision, the Fifth Circuit panel ruled the administration's claim—that...

Trump: US Strike on Boat From Venezuela Killed 11

There was 'a lot of drugs in that boat,' he says

(Newser) - A US strike on a boat from Venezuela killed 11 "terrorists," President Trump said Tuesday. The military strike on the vessel in the Caribbean is the first known action of its kind since the US sent warships to the area last month, reports Reuters . "We just, over...

Maduro Warns US Not to Pursue Regime Change

American force is deployed off Caribbean coast

(Newser) - With the US assembling a force off its Caribbean coast, Venezuela's president accused the American government on Monday of pursuing a regime change in his country. Trump administration officials have said the goal of the deployment is to combat Latin American drug cartels; Venezuelans officials call that a pretense....

With US Warships on the Way, Venezuela Reacts

It ups naval patrols following Trump's decision to send destroyers to region

(Newser) - Tensions are ratcheting up along Venezuela's Caribbean coast following President Trump's decision to send three US guided-missile destroyers and 4,000 Marines to the region. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino on Tuesday announced enhanced patrols in the region, including "larger vessels further north in our territorial...

US Sends Destroyers Toward Venezuela to Pressure Cartels
US Destroyers Head
Toward Venezuela
Aug 19, 2025 6:00 PM CDT

US Destroyers Head Toward Venezuela

Deployment is part of Trump's effort against Latin American drug cartels

(Newser) - The US is deploying three Aegis guided-missile destroyers to the waters off Venezuela as part of President Trump's effort to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels, according to an American official briefed on the planning. The USS Gravely, the USS Jason Dunham, and the USS Sampson are expected...

Trump OKs Military Action on Latin American Drug Cartels

Move signals a shift from law enforcement to military involvement

(Newser) - President Trump has quietly authorized the Pentagon to use military force against certain Latin American drug cartels, stepping up an already aggressive push to label these organizations as foreign terrorist threats. The directive, confirmed to the New York Times by sources familiar with internal discussions, paves the way for...

Trump Doubles Reward for Arrest of Maduro

Venezuela fires back with dig at Bondi over Epstein

(Newser) - The Trump administration is doubling to $50 million a reward for the arrest of Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of being one of the world's largest narco-traffickers and working with cartels to flood the US with fentanyl-laced cocaine. "Under President Trump's leadership, Maduro will...

Little Leaguers Miss Tournament, Denied Visas by US

Trump's travel ban had restrictions for Venezuelans but exceptions for cases like this

(Newser) - A Venezuelan team earned its ticket to the Little League Senior Baseball World Series in South Carolina by winning the Latin American region qualifying tournament last month. But Cacique Mara was shut out of the international event, which began Saturday in Easley, when the US denied visas to its members,...

Man Deported to El Salvador Plans to Sue US

He says he was abused in notorious prison after being deported without due process

(Newser) - A Venezuelan man is taking legal steps against the US government, saying he was wrongly deported and detained in El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison. Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel, 27, filed an administrative claim Thursday with the Department of Homeland Security, the required precursor to a federal lawsuit,...

Three-Country Deal Trades 10 Americans for Deportees

El Salvador frees more than 250 Venezuelan detainees sent there by US

(Newser) - Venezuela released 10 jailed Americans on Friday in exchange for getting home scores of migrants deported by the US to El Salvador months ago under the Trump administration's immigration policies, officials said. The three-country arrangement represents a diplomatic achievement for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, helps President Trump in...

List of Banned Nations Has a Notable Absence

It's a sign of how fast relations have improved between Syria and the US

(Newser) - One striking aspect of the list of countries hit with a total or partial travel ban to the US is one that isn't there: Syria. In President Trump's first term, it was on the original list of seven nations banned, notes NPR . This time, it didn't make...

Feds Warn US Citizens: Get Out of Venezuela Now

Citizens face detention risks as embassy services unavailable, per State Department

(Newser) - American travelers are being urged to immediately leave Venezuela and keep away. The US State Department has renewed its warning against travel to the country, citing "severe risks" for American citizens. The updated advisory, released Tuesday, points to dangers including wrongful detention, kidnapping, torture, and a lack of...

Supreme Court Gives Trump a Win on Migrants

Justices let White House revoke the protected status of 350K Venezuelans in the US

(Newser) - The Supreme Court on Monday delivered a victory to President Trump on immigration: It ruled that the White House can revoke temporary legal protections that had been granted to about 350,000 Venezuelans in the US, reports the Washington Post . The move now opens them to deportation. Only one justice...

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