Page 9 - Venezuela

US military strikes 3 suspected drug-smuggling boats, killing three at sea

The U.S. military said Wednesday it struck three more boats that were allegedly smuggling drugs, killing three people while others jumped overboard and may have survived. The statement by U.S. Southern Command, which oversees South America, did not reveal where the attacks occurred. Previous attacks have been in the Caribbean Sea and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. A video posted by Southern Command on social media shows the boats traveling in a close formation, which is unusual, and the military said they were in a convoy along known narco-trafficking routes and had transferred narcotics between the three vessels prior to the strikes. The military did not provide evidence to back up the claim. The military said three people were killed when the first boat was struck, while people in the other two boats jumped overboard and distanced themselves from the vessels before they were attacked. Southern Command said it immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate search and rescue .

Trump indicates US 'hit' Venezuelan facility linked to alleged drug vessels

President Donald Trump has indicated that the US has hit a facility in South America as he wages a pressure campaign on Venezuela, but the US offered no other details. Trump made the comments in what seemed to be an impromptu radio interview Friday. The president, who called radio host John Catsimatidis during a program on WABC radio, was discussing US strikes on alleged drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, which have killed at least 105 people in 29 known strikes since early September. I don't know if you read or saw, they have a big plant or a big facility where they send the, you know, where the ships come from," Trump said. "Two nights ago, we knocked that out. So, we hit them very hard. Trump did not offer any additional details in the interview, including what kind of attack may have occurred. The Pentagon on Monday referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Defence Secretary Pete Hegs

Best of BS Opinion: NCLT courts must fix institutional gaps

From tribunal capacity and procedural certainty to tanker seizures that could hit India's economy, today's Best of BS Opinion also looks at Budget-impact laws, AI agents, and a book on sanctions

Caribbean crisis: US actions in Venezuela threaten India's economy

Mr Trump's claim that Mr Maduro is emptying his prisons and illegally flooding the US with criminal elements and that the country is a major source of drug trafficking lacks foundation

One killed as US strikes another alleged drug-smuggling boat in Pacific

The US military said Monday that it had conducted another strike against a boat it said was smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one person. In a social media post, US Southern Command said, Intelligence confirmed the low-profile vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Southern Command provided no evidence that the vessel was engaged in drug smuggling. A video posted by US Southern Command shows splashes of water near one side of the boat. After a second salvo, the rear of the boat catches fire. More splashes engulf the craft and the fire grows. In the final second of the video, the vessel can be seen adrift with a large patch of fire alongside it. Earlier videos of US boat strikes showed vessels suddenly exploding, suggesting missile strikes. Some strike videos even had visible rocket-like projectiles coming down on the boats. The Trump administration has said the strikes we

'Don't play tough': Trump warns Maduro as Russia, China back Venezuela

Donald Trump has stepped up pressure on Venezuela, warning Nicolas Maduro to consider stepping down as the US targets oil shipments and expands military operations in the region

Judge orders Trump admin to allow court challenges for Venezuelan migrants

A federal judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration must give legal due process to Venezuelan migrants flown to a notorious prison in El Salvador, either by providing court hearings or returning them to the US. US District Judge James Boasberg ordered the government to come up with a plan within two weeks for the men, who have since been returned to Venezuela in a prisoner swap. Plaintiffs should not have been removed in the manner that they were, with virtually no notice and no opportunity to contest the bases of their removal, in clear contravention of their due-process rights, Boasberg wrote. It's the latest development in a case that's been a legal flashpoint in the administration's sweeping crackdown on immigration. It started in March, after Trump invoked an 18th-century wartime law to send Venezuelan migrants accused of being gang members to a mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT. Two planeloads of men were flown to the prison, despite a ver

US Coast Guard pursuing another tanker helping Venezuela skirt sanctions

The US Coast Guard on Sunday was pursuing another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea as the Trump administration appeared to be intensifying its targeting of such vessels connected to the Venezuelan government. The pursuit of the tanker, which was confirmed by a US official briefed on the operation, comes after the US administration announced Saturday it had seized a tanker for the second time in less than two weeks. The official, who was not authorised to comment publicly about the ongoing operation and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Sunday's pursuit involved a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela's illegal sanctions evasion. The official said the vessel was flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order. The Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the US Coast Guard, deferred questions about the operation to the White House, which did not offer comment on the operation. Saturday's predawn seizure of a Panama-flagg

US forces stop oil tanker off Venezuela coast as Trump ramps up pressure

US forces on Saturday stopped an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela for the second time in less than two weeks as President Donald Trump continues to ramp up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro. The pre-dawn operation comes days after Trump announced a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers coming in and out of the South American country and follows the December 10 seizure by American forces of an oil tanker off Venezuela's coast. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that the US Coast Guard with help from the Defense Department stopped the oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela. She also posted on social media an unclassified video of a US helicopter landing personnel on a vessel called Centuries. A crude oil tanker flying under the flag of Panama operates under the name and was recently spotted near the Venezuelan coast, according to MarineTraffic, a project that tracks the movement of vessels around the globe using publicly available data. It was n

Trump keeps war option open with Venezuela, orders oil tanker seizures

Trump also said there would be additional seizures of oil tankers near Venezuelan waters, according to the interview. The US seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela last week

Venezuela inflation soars 500% as Trump intensifies pressure on Maduro

The inflation rate soared to 556 per cent in the 12 months through Dec. 17, up from 219 per cent at the end of June and 45 per cent in 2024, according to a weekly index compiled by Bloomberg News

Oil, sanctions, and war. US blockade on Venezuela recalls past conflicts

The US has ordered a total blockade on sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers, stepped up naval presence and seized ships, raising fears that it may be moving towards a military conflict with Caracas

US House rejects resolutions to limit Trump's campaign against drug cartels

House Republicans rejected a pair of Democratic-backed resolutions Wednesday that would have put a check on President Donald Trump's power to use military force against drug cartels and the nation of Venezuela. Democrats forced the votes using war powers resolutions as Trump has stepped up his threats against the South American nation and Congress has questioned how the US military is conducting a campaign that has destroyed 26 vessels allegedly carrying drugs and killed at least 99 people, including an attack Wednesday. The legislation would have forced the Trump administration to seek authorization from Congress before continuing attacks against cartels that it deems to be terrorist organizations in the Western Hemisphere or launching an attack on Venezuela itself. Rep Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, argued that Trump's aggressions in the region were really because the president is coveting Venezuelan oil. They were the first votes in the ..

Trump demands Venezuela return seized US oil assets, defends blockade call

President Donald Trump demanded Wednesday that Venezuela return assets that it seized from US oil companies years ago, justifying anew his announcement of a blockade against oil tankers travelling to or from the South American country that face American sanctions. Trump cited the lost US investments in Venezuela when asked about his newest tactic in a monthslong pressure campaign against leader Nicols Maduro, suggesting his administration's moves to confront leaders in Caracas are at least somewhat motivated by disputes over oil investments, along with accusations of drug trafficking. Some sanctioned tankers already are diverting away from Venezuela. "We're not going to be letting anybody going through who shouldn't be going through, Trump told reporters of his call for a blockade. You remember they took all of our energy rights. They took all of our oil not that long ago. And we want it back. They took it they illegally took it. US oil companies dominated Venezuela's petroleum ...

US military strikes on 3 boats in eastern Pacific Ocean, kill eight people

The US military said Monday that it attacked three boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a total of eight people as scrutiny over the boat strikes is intensifying in Congress. The military said in a statement on social media that the strikes targeted designated terrorist organisations, killing three people in the first vessel, two in the second boat and three in the third boat. It didn't provide evidence of their alleged drug trafficking but posted a video of a boat moving through water before exploding. President Donald Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted the US is engaged in an armed conflict with drug cartels. But the Trump administration is facing increasing scrutiny from lawmakers over the boat strike campaign, which has killed at least 95 people in 25 known strikes since early September, including a follow-up strike that killed two survivors clinging to the ...

JetBlue avoids midair collision with US Air Force tanker near Venezuela

A JetBlue flight from the small Caribbean nation of Curacao halted its ascent to avoid colliding with a US Air Force refuelling tanker on Friday, and the pilot blamed the military plane for crossing his path. We almost had a midair collision up here, the JetBlue pilot said, according to a recording of his conversation with air traffic control. They passed directly in our flight path. ... They don't have their transponder turned on, it's outrageous. The incident involved JetBlue Flight 1112 from Curacao, which is just off the coast of Venezuela, en route to New York City's JFK airport. It comes as the US military has stepped up its drug interdiction activities in the Caribbean and is also seeking to increase pressure on Venezuela's government. We just had traffic pass directly in front of us within 5 miles of us maybe 2 or 3 miles but it was an air-to air-refueller from the United States Air Force and he was at our altitude, the pilot said. We had to stop our climb. The pilot said

Behind Nobel Laureate Maria Machado's daring escape from Venezuela to Oslo

An American firm with experience in special operations spirited María Corina Machado, the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, out of the country in a secretive land, sea and air operation

Trump signals start of land strikes on drug operations in Latin America

The US president for days has been pledging to broaden the effort, which comes after the Pentagon has launched a series of attacks on what it has called drug-smuggling boats

US Navy admiral overseeing Trump admin's boat strikes hands over command

A US Navy admiral who oversees military operations in Latin America handed off command responsibilities Friday as scrutiny increases over the Trump administration's deadly strikes on alleged drug boats in the region. Adm. Alvin Holsey has retired one year into a posting that typically lasts three to four years and transferred leadership duties to his top military deputy, Air Force Lt. Gen. Evan Pettus, during a ceremony at US Southern Command headquarters near Miami. In farewell remarks, Holsey did not mention the military operations or the reasons for his early retirement. But he urged his successor to uphold longstanding partnerships in the region by standing firmly behind the shared values of democracy and support for the rule of law. To be a trusted partner, we must be credible, present and engaged, Holsey said. Holsey's shock retirement was announced by the Pentagon in October, over a month into the Trump administration's strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean Sea an

US sanctions Maduro's nephews as pressure campaign against Venezuela grows

The US imposed sanctions on three nephews of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, among others, on Thursday as President Donald Trump looks to inflict further pressure on the South American nation. The new sanctions on Franqui Flores, Carlos Flores and Efrain Campo come a day after Trump announced that the US had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Also included in the sanctions are Panamanian businessman Ramon Carretero Napolitano, six firms and six Venezuela-flagged ships accused of transporting Venezuelan oil. The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control published the list of sanctions on Thursday. The sanctions are meant to deny them access to any property or financial assets held in the US, and the penalties are intended to prevent US companies and citizens from doing business with them. Banks and financial institutions that violate that restriction expose themselves to sanctions or enforcement actions. This is not the first time Maduro's family has been involv