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.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has activated the state’s National Guard following the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis, an incident that has triggered protests and intensified tensions between state and federal authorities.
Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday the country should not fear pursuing energy ties with the United States, as Caracas seeks to expand oil and gas production and attract foreign investment.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has strongly rejected a U.S. magazine report on the death toll during January unrest. Nationwide protests erupted in response to soaring inflation and a national currency crisis.
A mosaic portrait of Pope Leo XIV was illuminated on Sunday at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, continuing a centuries-old Vatican tradition marking the election of a new pope.
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India and the European Union have finalised a long-pending trade deal, both sides said on Tuesday, calling it the “mother of all deals” as they seek to hedge against uncertainty in U.S. trade ties.
The Trump administration has signalled to Ukraine that U.S. security guarantees depend on Kyiv agreeing to a peace deal likely requiring it to cede the Donbas region to Russia, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
France’s National Assembly has approved a bill banning access to social media for children under 15, a move backed by President Emmanuel Macron and the government as part of efforts to protect teenagers’ mental and physical health.
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