U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited sailors aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier in the Latin American region on Thursday, amid a military buildup by President Donald Trump’s administration that has heightened tensions with Venezuela.
In a video released by the Pentagon, Hegseth is seen addressing the crew, wishing them a happy Thanksgiving and offering prayers for the two National Guard soldiers who were shot in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
Since September, U.S. forces have carried out at least 21 strikes against suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and off the Pacific coast of Latin America, resulting in at least 83 fatalities.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly claimed that the U.S. military buildup is aimed at removing him from power.
The visit comes as President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the U.S. will "very soon" start taking action to stop suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers on land.
"You probably noticed that people aren't wanting to be delivering by sea, and we'll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that's going to start very soon," Trump said, speaking virtually with U.S. military service members.
The Venezuelan communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Trump administration has been weighing Venezuela-related options to combat what it has portrayed as President Nicolas Maduro's role in supplying illegal drugs that have killed Americans. Maduro has denied having any links to the illegal drug trade.
U.S. forces in the region so far have focused on counter-narcotics operations, even though the assembled firepower far outweighs anything needed for them.
U.S. troops have carried out at least 21 strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific since September, killing at least 83 people.
Reports of looming action have proliferated in recent weeks as the U.S. military has deployed forces to the Caribbean amid worsening relations with Venezuela.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party is likely to increase its number of parliamentary seats and gain a majority in the lower hous...
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday (29 January) for talks he hopes will deepen economic ties, sign...
U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran on Wednesday (28 January) to come to the table and make a deal on nuclear weapons or the next U.S. attack would...
Life will be particularly tough for Ukrainians over the next three weeks due to plunging temperatures and a compromised energy infrastructure that has...
U.S. stock markets finished mixed on Wednesday (28 January) as investors reacted calmly after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, a dec...
Life will be particularly tough for Ukrainians over the next three weeks due to plunging temperatures and a compromised energy infrastructure that has been pummeled by intense Russian attacks, depriving millions of light and heat, a senior lawmaker said on Wednesday.
U.S. stock markets finished mixed on Wednesday (28 January) as investors reacted calmly after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, a decision that had been widely expected and largely priced in.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called for tax increases on the city’s wealthiest residents and most profitable corporations, warning that the city is facing a fiscal crisis on a scale greater than the Great Recession.
The United States says it's handing over a tanker to Venezuela that it seized earlier this month, according to two U.S. officials, marking the first known case of President Donald Trump’s administration returning such a vessel, Reuters reported.
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.
The S&P 500 edged to a record closing high on Tuesday, marking its fifth consecutive day of gains, as strong advances in technology stocks offset a sharp selloff in healthcare shares and a mixed batch of corporate earnings.
Sanctions are a long-used tool designed as an alternative to military force and with the objective of changing governments’ behaviour, but they also end up hurting civilian citizens.
A routine military training exercise turned into a major recovery mission this week after a catastrophic mudslide swept through a hillside in West Java, Indonesia.
Residents in Syria’s Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli have stepped up volunteer patrols amid growing pressure from the country’s Islamist-led government, expressing deep mistrust of Damascus despite a fragile U.S.-backed ceasefire.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party is likely to increase its number of parliamentary seats and gain a majority in the lower house, a preliminary survey by the Nikkei newspaper showed on Thursday (29 January).
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday (29 January) for talks he hopes will deepen economic ties, signalling a potential breakthrough after years of strained relations.
U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran on Wednesday (28 January) to come to the table and make a deal on nuclear weapons or the next U.S. attack would be far worse. Tehran responded with a threat to strike back against the United States.
Life will be particularly tough for Ukrainians over the next three weeks due to plunging temperatures and a compromised energy infrastructure that has been pummeled by intense Russian attacks, depriving millions of light and heat, a senior lawmaker said on Wednesday.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called for tax increases on the city’s wealthiest residents and most profitable corporations, warning that the city is facing a fiscal crisis on a scale greater than the Great Recession.
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