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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Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will visit the People’s Republic of China from 30 August to 3 September, following an official invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Akorda presidential administration reports.
Almaty has been experiencing persistently high levels of air pollution over the past decade. According to monitoring data, in nine out of ten years between 2015 and 2024, the city's air quality was classified as high for pollution.
The Tawila Cisterns, a network of ancient water reservoirs carved into Shamsan mountain, have been included in the Arab Architectural and Urban Heritage list by the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (ALECSO).
France's minority government looks increasingly likely to be ousted next month after three main opposition parties said they would not back a confidence vote which Prime Minister Francois Bayrou announced for 8 September over his plans for sweeping €44 billion budget cuts.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
Kuwait says oil prices will likely stay below $72 per barrel as OPEC monitors global supply trends and U.S. policy signals. The remarks come during market uncertainty fueled by new U.S. tariffs on India and possible sanctions on Russia.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will visit the People’s Republic of China from 30 August to 3 September, following an official invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Akorda presidential administration reports.
Almaty has been experiencing persistently high levels of air pollution over the past decade. According to monitoring data, in nine out of ten years between 2015 and 2024, the city's air quality was classified as high for pollution.
France's minority government looks increasingly likely to be ousted next month after three main opposition parties said they would not back a confidence vote which Prime Minister Francois Bayrou announced for 8 September over his plans for sweeping €44 billion budget cuts.
The Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical facility in Gaza, is rapidly running out of medical supplies due to a prolonged Israeli blockade, plunging patients, including those injured in Israel's continued onslaught, into a dire situation.
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