The US military has carried out a lethal strike on a vessel allegedly engaged in drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific, killing four people, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday. The strike is part of a campaign that has now resulted in 99 deaths since September.
The announcement came a day after President Donald Trump said he had instituted a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, accusing Caracas of using oil to fund drug trafficking. Trump cited lost US investments in Venezuela's oil sector, stating, 'They took all of our energy rights... and we want it back.'
Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA insisted operations were continuing normally, while President Nicolás Maduro held talks with UN Secretary General António Guterres over what he called an 'escalation of threats' from Washington. China, a key buyer of Venezuelan oil, defended Caracas, opposing 'unilateral bullying'.
In Washington, House Republicans rejected Democratic-backed resolutions that would have required congressional authorisation for continued attacks on cartels or any potential strike on Venezuela. Democrat Gregory Meeks argued Trump's aggressions were motivated by coveting Venezuelan oil.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called on the UN to intervene to 'prevent any bloodshed', accusing the organisation of being 'nowhere to be seen'.
