– U.S. forces seize a second merchant vessel off Venezuela’s coast in less than two weeks as Trump escalates military pressure on President Nicolás Maduro over oil assets.
– Trump announced a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers and demanded Venezuela return assets seized from American oil companies, citing compensation disputes dating back decades.
– Military strikes targeting alleged drug smugglers have killed 104 people since September and face scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers for lack of evidence and civilian casualties.