The United States is aiming to allow further deployments of troops and aircraft to tackle drug trafficking, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday.
Speaking in the Dominican Republic, which has authorised the temporary deployment of U.S. elements, Hegseth said he was hoping other countries would accept U.S. military presence on their soil.
"A model that we hope to expand with other countries that want to associate with us to ensure that the drug terrorists... receive this message that we are associating with more countries, with more elements to stop them," Hegseth said.
He added that the Dominican Republic will continue to help lead the fight against drug traffickers.
The U.S. has ramped up operations in the Caribbean in recent months, including strikes against alleged drug-trafficking vessels which have killed dozens.
Washington says the move is to combat what it has portrayed as President Nicolas Maduro's role in supplying illegal drugs that have killed Americans. Maduro has denied the allegations and says U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to oust him.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said repeatedly he is not pursuing regime change.
Meanwhile, Venezuela has revoked operating rights for six major international airlines after they suspended flights to the country following a warning from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
Venezuela's civil aviation authority revoked permits for Iberia, TAP, Avianca, Latam Colombia, Turkish Airlines and Gol, with Caracas saying in a statement that the carriers had "joined actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States" by "unilaterally" halting commercial flights.
The U.S. FAA last week warned major airlines of a "potentially hazardous situation" when flying over Venezuela due to the "worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around" the country.
Caracas said the U.S. safety alert says has no authority over its airspace.
Several international airlines have cancelled flights to Venezuela in recent days, ignoring Caracas's 48-hour deadline to resume services.
Iberia said it wishes to restart flights to Venezuela as soon as full safety conditions are in place.
Air Europa and Plus Ultra had suspended flights but did not have their permits revoked.
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The White House has defended a U.S. admiral's decision to conduct multiple strikes on an alleged Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessel in September, saying he had Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's authorisation, even as critics questioned the legality of a strike on survivors.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he had spoken with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, but did not provide details on what the two leaders discussed.
The U.S. will "very soon" start taking action to stop suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers on land, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday.
The Pentagon on Monday threatened to recall U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain, to active duty status in order to prosecute him after what it described as seditious behavior by the former astronaut and decorated veteran.
A 77-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman were killed on Monday (4 May), after a man drove a car into a crowd on a pedestrianised street in the the eastern German city of Leipzig, authorities said.
Iran warned Armerican forces on Monday (4 May) not to enter the Strait of Hormuz, after the U.S. said it had launched a mission to try and reopen the sea passage. Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister said there was no military solution to the Middle East conflict.
Medics are working to evacuate two people with symptoms of the deadly respiratory illness, hantavirus, from a luxury cruise ship being held off West Africa, after three people died and several others fell ill, officials have said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to the Vatican and Italy this week for a series of meetings, according to Italian media reports, in a visit that comes amid strained relations between Washington and parts of Europe and heightened tensions involving Pope Leo XIV.
Tensions are escalating in the Gulf after new attacks linked to maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. forces say they struck Iranian fast boats at sea following hostile manoeuvres, after Iran was blamed for an earlier attack on a UAE oil facility.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 5th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Monday (4 May) that meteorological monitoring equipment at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in south-eastern Ukraine had been damaged by a drone.
A blast at a fireworks factory in China's Hunan province has killed 21 people and injured 61, prompting President Xi Jinping to call for a thorough investigation, state media reported on Tuesday.
The UK is moving to join a €90 billion European Union loan scheme for Ukraine, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying the benefits outweigh the costs, as he pushes for closer ties with Europe at a summit in Armenia this week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced a ceasefire with Russia until Wednesday (6 May), after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a pause in hostilities on 8-9 May to mark the 81st anniversary of Soviet Russia’s victory over Nazi German in World War II.
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