Overview
- Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko said Maduro would be welcome in Belarus, warned a U.S. intervention could become a “second Vietnam,” and noted no asylum talks have occurred.
- U.S. forces reported three new strikes on suspected drug‑smuggling boats in the eastern Pacific, killing eight men, with media tallies now exceeding 90 deaths since September.
- U.S. authorities seized the M/T Skipper off Venezuela, plan to retain its cargo pending legal process, and say the sanctioned tanker was tied to an illicit network supporting Hezbollah and Iran’s IRGC Quds Force.
- Caracas denounced the action as piracy, alleged crew kidnappings and a cyberattack on PDVSA, and export disruptions were reported as shippers diverted or turned back.
- Opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado backed President Trump’s strategy, as Washington added sanctions on individuals and six shipping firms and warned of further ship seizures; the Kremlin voiced solidarity with Maduro.