Venezuela announced the deployment of 15,000 military personnel to its border with Colombia on Monday to reinforce security and combat drug trafficking.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the operation, dubbed Relámpago del Catatumbo, will focus on the states of Zulia and Tachira, using drones, boats, aircraft, and other vehicles to patrol the frontier.
Venezuela’s border with Colombia has long been a hotspot for drug trafficking, contraband, and illegal armed groups. Previous United Nations (UN) and Organization of American States (OAS) reports highlight cross-border criminal activity, including smuggling of cocaine and weapons.
Cabello stressed the need for cooperation from Colombia.
"We hope that the Colombian side will do the same on their border to prevent any group from moving back and forth. The best guarantee of peace on the border is for each side to guard its own area as it should," Cabello said.
The announcement coincides with U.S. destroyers operating in the southern Caribbean targeting drug cartels, underlining growing international attention on security and trafficking in the region.
The deployment also comes amidst heightened tensions between Venezuela and Colombia under President Gustavo Petro’s administration.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has increasingly used military deployments to signal sovereignty and control along the frontier.
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A Pentagon official provided the first official estimate of the cost of the U.S. war in Iran on Wednesday (29 April), telling lawmakers that $25 billion had so far been spent on the conflict, most of it on munitions. Earlier, Donald Trump said that the U.S. had "militarily defeated" Tehran.
Two Jewish men have been stabbed in London in an incident that British police are treating as a terrorist attack.
A new Georgian-language broadcaster backed by Poland’s public media has launched with promises of objectivity - but it is already fuelling debate over influence, trust, and politics.
Armenia and Georgia will co-host the 2029 FIFA U-20 World Cup, the sport’s global governing body announced on Wednesday (29 April), bringing the youth tournament to the South Caucasus for the second consecutive edition after the 2027 event.
A Pentagon official provided the first official estimate of the cost of the U.S. war in Iran on Wednesday (29 April), telling lawmakers that $25 billion had so far been spent on the conflict, most of it on munitions. Earlier, Donald Trump said that the U.S. had "militarily defeated" Tehran.
Tensions between the United States and Iran remain high after a U.S. official said President Donald Trump was unhappy with a proposal from Tehran that does not deal with its nuclear programme. Washington is insisting that any talks must address Iran’s nuclear activities.
The death toll from a train collision near Indonesia’s capital Jakarta rose to 14 women on Tuesday (28 April), with 84 people injured, after rescuers completed efforts to free passengers trapped in the wreckage, the state rail operator said.
The decision by the United Arab Emirates to leave OPEC+ on 1 May has put renewed focus on one of the most influential groups in global energy - and how its decisions can shape oil prices worldwide.
Mexican special forces arrested Audias Flores, known as “El Jardinero”, a senior commander of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), during an operation in the western state of Nayarit, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said on Monday (27 April).
Two Jewish men have been stabbed in London in an incident that British police are treating as a terrorist attack.
Reversing a decade of restrictions, New South Wales has opened new areas for gas exploration in its remote west. The move reflects growing concern over future energy supply across Australia’s east coast.
Travel demand across China is expected to remain robust during the upcoming five-day Labour Day holiday starting 1 May.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 29th of April, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Mali’s military leader, Assimi Goita, has said the situation is “under control” in his first public remarks since a wave of coordinated attacks shook the country last weekend.
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