Venezuela will send 25,000 troops to coastal states to fight drug trafficking, President Nicolás Maduro’s government said, following a U.S. deployment of 10 fighter jets to Puerto Rico for operations against drug cartels.
President Maduro also directed reinforcements to the Guajira region of Zulia state and the Paraguana peninsula in Falcón, Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino said. Both areas are considered key routes for drug trafficking.
Military presence will also be increased on the island of Nueva Esparta and in Sucre and Delta Amacuro states.
The new deployment raises troop numbers from 10,000 to 25,000 in coastal and border regions with Colombia.
Padrino emphasised Venezuela would handle the problem itself.
“No one is going to come and do the work for us. No one is going to step on this land and do what we’re supposed to do,” he said in a video posted to social media.
Tensions with the U.S. have grown after President Donald Trump expanded military operations against drug cartels. Last week, a U.S. strike sank a Venezuelan boat carrying drugs, killing 11 people.
Trump has stressed that the U.S. is not seeking regime change but has warned that overdoses of hundreds of thousands of Americans justify strong action.
The administration is reportedly considering further strikes, potentially targeting suspected cartel locations inside Venezuela, CNN reported on Friday. Such action would represent a significant escalation.
Russia has violated an energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelen...
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One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a new attack Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, Saudi ...
The explosion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon killed at least 12 people and injured a further 309, according to Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority. The airport remains closed until further notice.
Yemen's Houthis renewed warning to airlines, airport workers, and travellers against using Saudi airports, saying the warning should be taken seriously and that the kingdom “bore responsibility for failed interceptions”, a day after an attack on Riyadh's international airport that killed 12 people.
One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a new attack Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities reported, a day after a strike claimed by Yemen's Houthis that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
The Houthi movement has escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the airport in Riyadh and other cities, killing more than a dozen people.
Ukraine is ready to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow also halts strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday.
Russia has violated an energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday, urging Washington to step in to ensure that Moscow abided by the terms of the putative agreement.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 12 October 2026 with the top five natural disasters happening around the world.
The Houthi movement has escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the airport in Riyadh and other cities, killing more than a dozen people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Ukraine is ready to respect the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, but only if Russia does the same, saying Moscow has already violated the agreement.
China has announced sanctions against Belize’s foreign minister and Paraguay’s communications minister over their countries’ diplomatic ties with Taiwan. The move comes as Beijing continues to pressure the few remaining nations that maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taipei.
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