Overview
- UN Secretary‑General António Guterres urged restraint and immediate de‑escalation after speaking with Nicolás Maduro, who denounced Washington’s actions as violations of international law.
- The U.S. military reported another strike on a suspected smuggling boat, with four dead, bringing the death toll in recent maritime operations to 99.
- U.S. forces seized the Venezuelan tanker Skipper last week and brought it to Houston, while new U.S. sanctions on additional vessels have prompted shipowners to halt or delay voyages.
- Washington has deployed thousands of troops and nearly a dozen warships, including an aircraft carrier, to the Caribbean as part of the expanded campaign.
- State oil firm PDVSA says exports continue under free navigation, while China signaled support for Caracas and Mexico and Cuba criticized the escalation; experts warn broader sanctions could severely choke Venezuela’s oil trade.