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Two days after passing through the Strait of Gibraltar en route to the Caribbean, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has not moved significantly from a position just west of Morocco in North Africa, the Navy confirmed to us Thursday. The flattop and elements of its strike group were ordered by President Donald Trump to join the ongoing enhanced counter-narcotics mission in the region, but it is unclear if plans have changed.

The relatively static position of the Ford and at least two of its escorts comes as reports are emerging that the Trump administration has decided, for now, not to carry out land strikes against Venezuela. It is unknown at the moment if there is a correlation, and the possibility remains that the carrier could still soon sail westward. We have reached out to the White House for clarification.

The Trump administration on Wednesday told Congress it is holding off for now on strikes inside Venezuela out of concern over the legal authority to do so, CNN reported on Thursday. The briefing was conducted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and an official from the White House’s Office of Legal Counsel, the network reported, citing sources familiar with the events.

Lawmakers were told that the authority given to suspected drug boats did not apply to land strikes, the network noted. So far, nearly 70 people have been killed in at least 16 publicly known attacks on vessels allegedly smuggling drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific. The most recent acknowledged strike took place on Tuesday. The strikes have garnered heavy criticism for being extrajudicial and carried out without Congressional authorization.

Today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO).

Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known… pic.twitter.com/OsQuHrYLMp

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) November 5, 2025

Asked if the administration is indeed opting against land attacks on Venezuela, at least for now, the White House gave us the following response:

“President Trump was elected with a resounding mandate to take on the cartels and stop the scourge of narcoterrorism from killing Americans,” a White House official told us. “The President continues to take actions consistent with his responsibility to protect Americans and pursuant to his constitutional authority. All actions comply fully with the law of armed conflict.” 

CNN’s reporting came after a Wall Street Journal story on Wednesday stating that President Donald Trump “recently expressed reservations to top aides about launching military action to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.”

Trump feared that strikes might not force Maduro to step down, the newspaper noted. Though ostensibly begun as an effort to stem the flow of drugs, it has grown into a massive show of military force aimed partially at Maduro.

The administration is considering three main options for dealing with Maduro, The New York Times reported earlier this week. They include stepping up economic pressure on Venezuela, supporting that nation’s opposition while boosting the U.S. military presence to add pressure on the Venezuelan leader, and initiating airstrikes or covert operations aimed at government and military facilities and personnel.

However, the goal is in flux, administration officials acknowledge, according to the Journal. Meanwhile, Trump has also delivered mixed messages, saying he doubts there will be an attack but that Maduro must go.

What is clear is that there is a massive U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, which includes at least eight surface warships, a special operations mothership, a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, F-35B stealth fighters, AC-130 gunships, airlifters, MQ-9 Reaper drones and more than 10,000 troops.

The Ford was supposed to join that force, but if the administration is content for now to hit boats suspected of carrying drugs, it might not make sense to move the carrier and escort ships more than 3,600 miles west, especially as there is high demand elsewhere for American naval presence, including in Europe, where the supercarrier just came from.

The issue of wear and tear on the force is something that the Pentagon will have to evaluate as it decides which assets to keep and which to pull from the Caribbean. Navy vessels began arriving in the region in late August and at some point, they will need relief. That could mean bringing in ships, possibly from other regions. The same can be said for aircraft units and personnel deployed around the region for the operation. Those forces can only remain spun-up for so long, or the operation needs to be adapted for a long-term enhanced presence. This could very well be underway already, although we have not confirmed this as being the case. However, being so close to the U.S. mainland reduces some of those concerns, especially for rotating units in and out.

Regardless of Trump’s intentions, the U.S. military presence continues to endure in the region. Thursday afternoon, two more B-52H strategic bombers flew near the coast of Venezuela, according to online flight trackers. These bomber flights have become something of a routine at this point. In addition, the San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship USS Fort Lauderdale is once again back in the Caribbean after a pitstop in Florida for routine maintenance.

At 5 p.m., the U.S. Senate is scheduled to hold a floor vote on a bipartisan war powers resolution that would block the use of the U.S. Armed Forces to engage in hostilities within or against Venezuela, unless that action has been authorized by Congress. A similar measure failed several weeks ago and it remains to be seen if news that the administration is holding off on striking Venezuela will move the needle on that resolution.

Meanwhile, we will continue to monitor the progress of the Ford and the U.S. military presence arrayed against Maduro and provide updates when warranted.

Update: 6:07 PM Eastern –

The Senate bipartisan war powers resolution was voted down by a vote of 51 to 49.

Contact the author: [email protected] 

The United States has carried out strikes near Venezuela that President Donald Trump says are targeting drug gangs.

That is disputed, but the major military mobilisation has brought the issue of narcotics front and centre.

How bad is the problem in the country, and what’s Trump’s strategy?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Sanho Tree – Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and director of the Drug Policy Project

Carrie Sheffield – Senior policy analyst at the Independent Women’s Forum

Ernesto Castaneda – Director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University

The U.S. Navy’s supercarrier USS Gerald R. Ford and at least a portion of the rest of its strike group have been ordered to Latin American waters. This represents a new and especially significant deployment of U.S. forces into the Western Hemisphere amid a steady escalation in the scale and scope of ostensible counter-narcotics operations. Strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats have now become routine, and the possibility that the campaign could extend to targets on land, particularly in Venezuela, continues to grow.

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s top spokesperson, made the unexpected announcement about Ford, which is currently on a scheduled deployment in the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea on a scheduled deployment.

“In support of the President’s [Donald Trump] directive to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and counter narco-terrorism in defense of the Homeland, the Secretary of War [Pete Hegseth] has directed the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and embarked carrier air wing to the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility (AOR),” Parnell said in a statement. “The enhanced U.S. force presence in the USSOUTHCOM AOR will bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland and our security in the Western Hemisphere. These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle TCOs.”

Ford, the Navy’s newest carrier, currently has a full air wing embarked, which includes F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets, E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning and control planes, C-2A Greyhound Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) aircraft, and MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopters. The rest of its strike group includes four Arleigh Burke class destroyers – USS Winston S. Churchill, USS Bainbridge, USS Mahan, and USS Forrest Sherman – and likely at least one attack submarine.

USNI News has reported that it is currently unclear which of Ford’s escorts may accompany it to the SOUTHCOM AOR, citing an unnamed source. The outlet noted that, at least as of Monday, the USS Forrest Sherman and USS Mitscher were operating independently in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, respectively

It is likely to take Ford at least a week to get back across the Mediterranean and then the Atlantic Ocean. Where exactly within the SOUTHCOM AOR the carrier and elements of its strike group might take up station remains to be seen.

Regardless, just pulling Ford from a scheduled deployment is a major development and follows an already substantial build-up of U.S. naval, air, and other assets in and around the Caribbean. As of last week, approximately 10,000 U.S. personnel, in total, were forward deployed in the region. Fox News has reported that the Navy is now set to see roughly 14 percent of its combat fleets operating within SOUTHCOM’s AOR.

🚨 Today, the U.S. announced its 7th strike in SOUTHCOM, destroying a boat affiliated with a Colombian cartel. The U.S. has massed 10,000+ troops in the region, with most in Puerto Rico and on 12 U.S. Navy ships. Also:

– USAF B-52H bombers + USMC F-35B fighters conducted a… pic.twitter.com/PyYyZlWSxC

— Ian Ellis (@ianellisjones) October 19, 2025

The Navy’s aircraft carrier strike groups, in general, are at the very top of the U.S. military’s power-projection assets, offering immense capability to exercise control over surrounding sea and airspace, as well as to launch strikes on targets on the water and ashore hundreds of miles away in any direction. They also provide huge floating bases that can be utilized in other ways, including as launch points for major special operations forces missions.

Even if only a portion of the Ford Carrier Strike Group ultimately deploys to the SOUTHCOM AOR, it would still represent a major boost in capabilities and operational capacity in the theater. There are already multiple Arleigh Burke class destroyers, as well as a Ticonderoga class cruiser, in the region that could also join with Ford and its escorts, including to help provide protection for the carrier. The overall threat picture is not high, though one still does exist. It is worth noting that carrier strike groups also train heavily before deployments to be a deeply integrated, singular fighting force, something that would not exist with warships already in the Caribbean. Still, this combination of naval forces would likely be more than enough to suffice in this scenario.

Altogether, Ford‘s impending arrival can only signal a new and substantial escalation in U.S. operations in the region. As noted, American forces are now regularly striking small boats alleged to be involved in drug smuggling. Just earlier today, Secretary of War Hegseth announced the ninth such strike known to have occured since the start of September. To date, seven of the strikes have targeted boats in the Caribbean, while two more have occured in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Overnight, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO), trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean Sea.

The vessel was known by our… pic.twitter.com/lVlw0FLBv4

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) October 24, 2025

All of this also comes amid U.S. government efforts to put particular pressure on Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro. Just yesterday, Air Force B-1 bombers conducted a show of force close to Venezuela’s coast. Last week, Air Force B-52 bombers, accompanied by U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Joint Strike Fighters, conducted a similar mission that officials later described as a “bomber attack demonstration.”

There has been a steady drumbeat of reports in recent weeks pointing to the growing possibility of direct action of some kind against Maduro’s regime. President Trump said on Wednesday that his administration was moving to target drug cartels on land, though he did not elaborate on what that might entail or where such operations might occur. He also confirmed last week that he had authorized the CIA to engage in covert operations against the Venezuelan government. Maduro has been under indictment in the United States since 2020 for drug trafficking and other charges, and American authorities currently have a $50 million bounty out for his capture.

While it will take some time for the elements of the Ford Carrier Strike Group to arrive in Latin American waters, that they are on their way already signals U.S. operations in the region are entering a new phase.

Contact the author: [email protected]

Oct. 12 (UPI) — On this date in history:

In 1492, Christopher Columbus reached America, making his first landing in the New World on one of the Bahamas Islands. Columbus thought he had reached India.

In 1810, the citizens of Munich were invited to join in celebrating the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen in what would become the first Oktoberfest.

In 1915, British nurse Edith Cavell, 49, was executed by a German firing squad in Brussels for helping Allied soldiers escape from Belgium in World War I.

In 1933, the United States Army Disciplinary Barracks on Alcatraz Island, otherwise known as The Rock, was acquired by the United States Department of Justice. Less than a year later, the prison would become home to some of the country’s most notorious criminals.

Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI

In 1945, President Harry Truman awarded the Medal of Honor to Desmond T. Doss, the first conscientious objector to receive the honor. Doss was the subject of Hacksaw Ridge, a 2016 movie starring Andrew Garfield.

In 1960, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev removed one of his shoes and pounded it on his desk during a speech before the United Nations.

In 1964, the Soviet Union launched Voskhod 1 into orbit around Earth, with three cosmonauts aboard. It was the first spacecraft to carry a multi-person crew and the two-day mission was also the first orbital flight performed without spacesuits.

In 1973, U.S. President Richard Nixon nominated House Minority Leader Gerald Ford of Michigan for the vice presidency to replace Spiro Agnew, who had resigned two days earlier.

In 1984, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher escaped injury in the bombing of a hotel in Brighton, England. Four people were killed in the attack, blamed on the Irish Republican Army.

In 1992, an earthquake near Cairo killed more than 500 people and injured thousands.

In 1998, University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay man, died six days after he was beaten, robbed and left tied to a fence. The U.S. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is often called the “Matthew Shepard Act.”

In 2000, 17 sailors were killed and 39 injured in an explosion on the USS Cole as it refueled in Yemen. U.S. President Bill Clinton blamed the attack on al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

UPI File Photo

In 2001, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to bring peace to the world and his work against AIDS and poverty.

In 2002, terrorist bombings near two crowded nightclubs on the Indonesian island of Bali killed more than 200 people.

In 2010, the U.S. government lifted a ban on deep-water oil and natural gas drilling for companies that obey stricter rules aimed at avoiding a repeat of the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

In 2016, CoverGirl announces its first male model, James Charles. The 17-year-old high school senior caught the attention of the makeup brand through his popular Instagram account.

In 2019, California became the first state in the United States to ban the sale of new fur products.

In 2022, a Connecticut jury ordered Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay nearly $1 billion to the families of eight Sandy Hook shooting victims and an FBI agent who responded to the 2012 massacre for spreading lies and calling the attack a hoax.

File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI

Days after a photo went viral showing damage that the aircraft carrier USS Truman incurred during a February collision with a freighter was apparently painted over, the Navy released an explanation.

“The exterior cosmetic damage to USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) sustained from the collision will get repaired during the ship’s upcoming Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipbuilding as planned,” a Navy official said. “Immediately following the collision, while in Souda Bay, Greece, new bulkheads were installed inside each of the damaged spaces to establish weathertight integrity.”

The carrier is expected to begin RCOH in the next twelve months. We have reached out the Navy for a firmer date.

Truman was damaged during a collision with the cargo ship M/V Besiktas-M off the coast of Egypt in the Mediterranean Sea.

A photo taken at the time showed multiple large tears through a sponson on the starboard side of the stern end of the ship near one of the aircraft elevators. It was unknown at the time whether there was damage elsewhere. You can see the damage in the following photo taken at the time.

About a week after the collision, Truman was back at sea conducting routine operations after being in port in Greece for repairs. The Navy announced at the time that Truman waas conducting routine operations in the Mediterranean after leaving Greece’s Souda Bay following a so-called Emergent Repair Availability (ERAV). The carrier first arrived in Souda Bay for the ERAV, which was immediately preceded by a more comprehensive damage assessment, on Feb. 16.

The photo showing the painted-over damage was taken on Monday, during U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the vessel in Norfolk, Virginia, to celebrate the Navy’s 250th birthday. Though the event was attended by thousands, the damage was partially hidden from view by a huge Navy banner.

It was not until the photo appeared on social media that questions were raised about the existing damage and why it hadn’t been repaired. We reached out to the Navy on Monday and finally received the aforementioned response.

“The U.S. Navy’s ability to rapidly repair its warships anywhere in the world is a testament to our lethality and the warfighting advantage of relationships with Allies and partners,” the Navy official added on Friday. “RCOH is a multi-year project, performed only once during a carrier’s 50-year life and includes refueling of the ship’s two nuclear reactors, as well as significant repair, upgrade and modernization work.”

We will continue to monitor the progress of repairs to the Truman and provide updates when available.

Contact the author: [email protected]

Oct. 9 (UPI) — The U.S. Navy has fired the commanding officer of the USS Wyoming Blue Crew, the service has announced.

Cmdr. Robert Moreno was relieved of his duties after staff lost confidence in his ability to command.

“Navy commanding officers are held to high standards of personal and professional conduct,” a Navy release said. “They are expected to uphold the highest standards of responsibility, reliability. And leadership and the Navy holds them accountable when they fall short of those standards.”

There were no details in the release about a reason for the dismissal, but the military often uses “loss of confidence” as a general statement when dismissing senior leaders.

Capt. David Burke, Submarine Squadron 20 deputy for training, was temporarily assigned responsibility of the USS Wyoming Blue Crew, the release said.

Moreno was temporarily assigned to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, and took command of that ship in 2024. He became a commissioned officer in 2005, and was an enlisted sailor before that, his Naval biography said.

From 2001 to 2003, he was the commander of the Joint Force Marine Component.

The U.S. Navy’s San Antonio class amphibious warfare ship USS New Orleans suffered a fire today while it was off White Beach in Uruma City on the Japanese island of Okinawa.

A U.S. official has confirmed to TWZ that the blaze has been contained, but it is unclear at this time if it has been fully extinguished. The fire started at about 5:00 PM local time (4:00 AM Eastern), according to NHK in Japan. At the time of writing, there have been no reports of casualties, and the cause and extent of the damage remain unknown. The New Orleans is homeported in Sasebo on the Japanese home island of Kyushu to the north, and is assigned to the U.S. 7th Fleet.

“Crews are responding to a fire aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) this evening, Aug. 20, (Japan Time), which is in the vicinity of Okinawa, Japan,” another Navy spokesperson had earlier told TWZ in a statement. “We will provide more details as they become available.”

“Smoke was confirmed rising from the bow of the ship, but so far there have been no requests to evacuate the crew,” a Japanese Coast Guard official told NHK. A Navy spokesperson confirmed to us that no evacuation order has been given.

Videos from the scene posted by NHK show two firefighting tugs located on both sides of the bow pouring water on the vessel. A Navy spokesperson told us the tugs were from White Beach Naval Facility in Okinawa.

Footage showing firefighting ships with the Japanese Coast Guard fighting a fire onboard the San Antonio-Class Amphibious Transport Dock, USS New Orleans (LPD-18), off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. pic.twitter.com/czcUFgvSO8

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 20, 2025

NEW: Fire broke out aboard the USS New Orleans (LPD-18) while docked at White Beach, Okinawa, Japan.

US Navy & Japan Self-Defense Forces fought the blaze.

Cause, damage, and casualties not yet confirmed. pic.twitter.com/xbWLGoA1Xd

— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 20, 2025

NHK reported that Japan Self-Defense Force vessels arrived to conduct firefighting efforts, and the Japan Coast Guard had also dispatched a patrol boat to the scene. A Navy spokesperson earlier told TWZ that they believed that the ship’s crew, plus the two tugs from White Beach, had been actively fighting the fire.

Okinawa’s White Beach is “a staging area for Marines and their equipment based on Okinawa,” according to the Navy. “This departure point allows utility landing craft and air-cushioned landing vehicles to ferry troops, vehicles and equipment to amphibious ships pier side or at sea.”

The cause of the fire and extent of the damage will be investigated, a Navy spokesperson also told TWZ.

Update, 5:52 PM Eastern:

The U.S. 7th Fleet has now put out a statement regarding the fire aboard USS New Orleans, which it says was extinguished at approximately 4:00 AM local time on August 21. This is roughly 12 hours after the blaze began. Two crew members were treated aboard the ship for unspecified “minor injuries.” An investigation is now underway.

The full statement is as follows:

“A fire aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18), which is anchored near White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, was declared extinguished at 4 a.m., Aug. 21.

The fire began at approximately 4 p.m., Aug. 20. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

New Orleans Sailors’ firefighting efforts were supported by the crew of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD 22), which is moored at White Beach Naval Facility.

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force; Japan Coast Guard; and U.S. Navy commands from across Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa also provided critical support to the firefighting efforts.  

Two Sailors were taken to New Orleans’ medical for minor injuries.

New Orleans’ crew will remain aboard the ship. Additional services and berthing are available aboard San Diego and Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa, if needed.

Continue to follow U.S. 7th Fleet for updates.”

Contact the author: [email protected]

The U.S. Navy says the impacts from a fire that burned for approximately 12 hours aboard the USS New Orleans earlier this week are limited to forward areas of the ship, though a full assessment of the damage is still ongoing. The San Antonio class amphibious warfare ship, with its crew still aboard, arrived under its own power today at the White Beach Naval Facility on the Japanese island of Okinawa. Readers can first get caught up on what had previously been known about the incident in our initial report here.

A full statement put out today from the U.S. 7th Fleet reads:

“The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) returned under its own propulsion to White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 22.

New Orleans is providing its own berthing and galley services remain open, allowing for the crew of nearly 380 Sailors to continue to work and reside aboard their ship. Several Sailors were treated for minor injuries and have returned to full duty. Family members have been updated on the status of the ship and crew.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, and damage assessors are presently aboard inspecting the impact, which was limited to the forward area of the ship.”

An initial Navy statement said two sailors sustained unspecified injuries, and that they were treated aboard the ship, before that was changed to “several.” A press release today from the U.S. Embassy in Japan also only mentions two injured sailors, adding that they have returned to duty. TWZ has reached out for more information.

“Another defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details about the ship, said the fire appeared to be contained to the middle decks near the ship’s bow,” Military Times had also reported on Tuesday, which is in line with the Navy’s latest statement. “The official added that multiple decks had been affected, without specifying how many decks were burned.”

The fire first broke out at about 4:00 PM local time on Aug. 20 and was extinguished at approximately 4:00 AM local time on Aug. 21, according to the Navy. The Japan Coast Guard separately told multiple news outlets that firefighting activities continued until 9:00 AM local time.

“New Orleans Sailors’ firefighting efforts were supported by the crew of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD 22), which is moored at White Beach Naval Facility,” the Navy also said in a release put out on the night of Aug. 20-21. “Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force; Japan Coast Guard; and U.S. Navy commands from across Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa also provided critical support to the firefighting efforts.”

The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, has denied that her government has any evidence linking Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to the Sinaloa Cartel, a criminal network based in her country.

Sheinbaum’s statements on Friday were prompted by an announcement one day earlier that the United States would double its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, putting the current reward at $50m.

The administration of US President Donald Trump claimed Maduro was “one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world” and that he had direct ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, as well as two other Venezuelan gangs.

Sheinbaum was asked about those allegations in her morning news conference on Friday. She answered that this week was the first time she had heard of such accusations.

“On Mexico’s part, there is no investigation that has to do with that,” Sheinbaum said. “As we always say, if they have some evidence, show it. We do not have any proof.”

A history of ‘maximum pressure’

Mexico has long maintained diplomatic relations with Venezuela, while the US has broken its ties with the government in Caracas over questions about the legitimacy of Maduro’s presidency.

Instead, the US has recognised candidates from Venezuela’s opposition coalition as the country’s rightful leaders, and it has also heavily sanctioned Maduro and his allies.

Trump, in particular, has had a rocky relationship with Maduro over his years as president. During his first term, from 2017 to 2021, Trump pursued a campaign of “maximum pressure” against Maduro, which included an initial reward of $15m.

That amount was later raised to $25m during the final weeks of President Joe Biden’s presidency, in reaction to Maduro’s hotly contested re-election to a third term in 2024.

Election observers said that the vote had not been “democratic“, and the opposition coalition published raw vote tallies that appeared to contradict the government’s official results.

But as Trump began his second term on January 20, critics speculated that the Republican leader would soften his approach to Maduro in order to seek assistance with his campaign of mass deportation.

Venezuela has a history of refusing to accept deportees from the US.

Since then, Trump has sent envoy Richard Grenell to the Venezuelan capital of Caracas and secured deals that saw US citizens released from Venezuelan custody. Venezuela has also accepted to receive deportation flights from the US in recent months.

But the Trump administration has maintained it has no intention of recognising Maduro’s government.

Legitimising claims of an ‘invasion’

The accusations against Maduro further another Trump goal: legitimising his sweeping claims to executive power.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has invoked emergency measures, including the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, to facilitate his policy goals, including his campaign of mass deportation.

Trump was re-elected on a hardline platform that conflated immigration with criminality.

But in order to use the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law, Trump had to show that either the country was engaged in a “declared war” or that it faced an “invasion or predatory incursion” from a foreign nation.

To meet that requirement, Trump has blamed Venezuela for masterminding a criminal “invasion” of the US.

On Thursday, Trump’s Attorney General Pam Bondi also accused Maduro of working hand in hand with the cartels to profit from their drug-smuggling enterprises.

“Maduro uses foreign terrorist organisations like TdA [Tren de Aragua], Sinaloa and Cartel of the Suns to bring deadly drugs and violence into our country,” Bondi said in a video.

“To date, the DEA [Drug Enforcement Administration] has seized 30 tonnes of cocaine linked to Maduro and his associates, with nearly seven tonnes linked to Maduro himself, which represents a primary source of income for the deadly cartels based in Venezuela and Mexico.”

But in May, a declassified intelligence memo from the US government cast doubt on the allegation that Maduro is puppeteering gang activity in the US.

“While Venezuela’s permissive environment enables TDA to operate, the Maduro regime probably does not have a policy of cooperating with TDA and is not directing TDA movement to and operations in the United States,” the memo said.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil responded to Bondi’s claims on Thursday by calling them “the most ridiculous smokescreen ever seen”.

Bitcoin has scaled $120,000 for the first time, a major milestone for the world’s largest cryptocurrency in the run-up to what could be a landmark week.

Starting July 14, “Crypto Week” will see the US House of Representatives debate three industry-friendly bills that are likely to provide cryptocurrencies with the US regulatory framework that crypto insiders have long demanded.

US President Donald Trump has urged policymakers to revamp their rules, away from the plethora of lawsuits brought against crypto firms by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under former President Joe Biden (2021-2025), in favour of the industry.

Expectations of further tailwinds helped propel Bitcoin, up 29 percent so far this year, to a record high of $122,055 on Monday. Bitcoin, the very first cryptocurrency, began trading in January 2009, when it was valued at just $0.004.

The surge has sparked a broader rally across other cryptocurrencies as Ether, the world’s second-most popular token, reached a five-month high of $3,048.2 on Monday.

More generally, the sector’s total market value has swelled to roughly $3.8 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap.

Cryptocurrencies are a form of monetary exchange that allows people to bypass central banks and traditional payment methods.

What is at stake?

US lawmakers will discuss three key pieces of legislation during “Crypto Week”:

• The GENIUS Act aims to clarify when digital assets like crypto tokens are considered securities or commodities, helping startups avoid legal uncertainty by providing clear regulatory rules. The Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act has already passed the Senate.
• The Clarity Act would block federal agencies from using court rulings to overextend regulatory power, ensuring that Congress – and not courts – defines how crypto assets are classified and governed.
• The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act would prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC), arguing it could enable government surveillance of Americans’ financial activity and threaten individual privacy.

This marks a sharp reversal for a sector that once threatened to do its business outside the US, citing a hostile environment and heavy-handed enforcement.

Crypto companies have long accused US financial regulators (like the SEC) of enacting confusing or conflicting rules.

“We expect capital that was previously sidelined due to regulatory uncertainty to re-enter … even if final passage stalls,” Jag Kooner, head of derivatives at Bitfinex crypto exchange, told Reuters.

This week’s decisions could make it easier for companies to launch new digital asset products and to trade in crypto.

Does the proposed legislation have critics?

Democrats are expected to offer amendments to the GENIUS and Clarity Acts.

Critics have argued that the Trump administration is conceding too much ground to the crypto industry.

“I’m concerned that what my Republican colleagues are aiming for is another industry handout,” Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said on July 9 at a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing.

She urged Congress to bar public officials, including Trump, from issuing, backing or profiting from crypto tokens.

Warren also argued that new crypto rules should not “open a back door to destroy” longtime securities laws, or allow volatility in the crypto market to spill over into the traditional financial system.

Finally, she underscored that anti-money laundering rules should apply to the industry. Crypto users are identified by alphanumeric wallet addresses, not their names, allowing bad actors to obscure the source of their illicit funds.

The Biden administration adopted a tough regulatory stance towards cryptocurrencies, aiming to oversee the digital assets as securities subject to the same regulations as stocks and bonds.

What’s Trump’s interest in crypto?

Trump, once a crypto sceptic, became a major promoter during his presidential campaign last year, even becoming the first major-party presidential candidate to accept campaign donations via crypto.

During the 2024 campaign, crypto insiders spent nearly a quarter of a billion dollars, according to Federal Election Commission data, in support of crypto allies – and to try and weed out antagonists.

In March, Trump said he would create a crypto reserve that would include five cryptocurrencies (including Bitcoin), adding he would make the US “the crypto capital of the world”.

Meanwhile, Trump’s family business has launched several cryptocurrency meme coins, flash-in-the-pan assets inspired by internet jokes or cultural references, such as $Trump and $Melania.

Trump has faced criticism over conflicts of interest regarding his family’s ventures. For instance, World Liberty Financial – a crypto group backed by Trump and his sons in 2024 – has earned the president $57m.

Elsewhere, Trump Media & Technology Group filed paperwork with the SEC in July seeking approval to launch its own “Crypto Blue-Chip ETF”, an exchange-traded fund holding Bitcoin and other digital currencies.

How has Bitcoin performed since Trump was re-elected?

If Bitcoin were a country, it would rank in the top 10 by gross domestic product, roughly on par with countries like Brazil ($2.17 trillion) and Canada ($2.14 trillion).

Since Donald Trump’s re-election in November 2024, Bitcoin has surged by 75 percent, rising from about $69,539 at close on Election Day to its current record level. It rallied to above $100,000 for the first time last December.

The cryptocurrency briefly dropped below $90,000 on February 25, amid market jitters triggered by Trump’s announcement of new tariffs on multiple countries and industries worldwide, before recovering after Trump’s “crypto reserve” announcement.

Bitcoin’s rise also arrives amid a wider backdrop of economic uncertainty, notably the global turmoil from Trump’s steep – and on-again, off-again – tariffs imposed on key trading partners worldwide, in addition to ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

“Bitcoin has shown resilience this year, rebounding in line with its macro exposures following tariff announcements,” Citibank analysts wrote in a research paper last week.

Kootenai County Sheriff says law enforcement officials are taking sniper fire as they hunt for the killer.

At least two people have been killed in the United States after a gunman shot at firefighters responding to a blaze in the state of Idaho, according to officials.

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said that crews responded to a fire at Canfield Mountain, just north of the city of Coeur d’Alene, at about 1:30pm (19:30 GMT) on Sunday, and gunshots were reported about a half hour later.

Sheriff Bob Norris said officials believe the two people killed were fire personnel. He did not know if anyone else was shot.

The sheriff said it was not immediately clear if there was one gunman or more, and urged the public to stay clear of the area.

“We don’t know how many suspects are up there, and we don’t know how many casualties there are,” Norris told reporters. “We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak.”

The Canfield Mountain, an area popular with hikers, is located near Coeur d’Alene, a city of 57,000 people about 260 miles (420 km) east of Seattle in Washington state.

Norris said the shooter or shooters were using high-powered sporting rifles to fire rapidly at first responders, and that the perpetrators “are not, at this time, showing any evidence of wanting to surrender”.

The sheriff said it appeared the attacker was hiding in the rugged terrain and using a high-powered rifle. He said he has instructed deputies to fire back.

“If these individuals are not neutralised quickly, this is going to be likely a multi-day operation,” he added.

Idaho Governor Brad Little said “multiple” firefighters were attacked.

“This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,” he said on X. “I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more.”

Little did not give further details on any casualties or how the incident unfolded.

“As this situation is still developing, please stay clear from the area to allow law enforcement and firefighters to do their jobs,” Little added.

Law enforcement is investigating whether the fire could have been intentionally set to lure first responders to the scene, Kootenai County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Jeff Howard told ABC News.

The broadcaster reported that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been briefed on the shooting.

The FBI said it has sent technical teams and tactical support to the scene.

“It remains an active, and very dangerous scene,” the agency’s deputy director, Dan Bongino, wrote in a post on X.

Gun ownership is widespread in the US, where the country’s Constitution protects the rights of Americans to “keep and bear arms”.

Deaths related to gun violence are common. At least 17,927 people were murdered by a gun in 2023 in the US, according to the most recent available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Iran has responded to the United States’ direct involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict by targeting its military assets in the Middle East.

On Monday, Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced that bases used by US forces “in the region or elsewhere” could be attacked in retaliation for US attacks on Iran’s underground nuclear sites the previous day.

Later that evening, explosions were heard over Qatar’s capital, Doha, as Iran attacked Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military base in the Middle East.

Here’s everything you need to know about Al Udeid:

What is Al Udeid?

Gas-rich Qatar, which lies 190km (120 miles) south of Iran across the Gulf, is home to the US’s largest military base in the region, Al Udeid.

The 24-hectare (60-acre) base, in the desert outside the capital Doha, was set up in 1996 and is the forward headquarters for US Central Command, which directs US military operations in a huge swathe of territory stretching from Egypt in the west to Kazakhstan in the east.

It houses the Qatar Emiri Air Force, the US Air Force, the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force, and other foreign forces.

It houses around 10,000 troops.

Earlier this year, The Hill, a Washington, DC-based newspaper, reported that Al Udeid’s “long, well-maintained runways enable rapid deployment, making it a critical component of US force projection”.

The Hill also reported that Qatar’s investment in Al Udeid has kept it “at the forefront of military readiness while saving US taxpayers billions of dollars”. Over the years, it said, Qatar had spent more than $8bn upgrading infrastructure.

The base has played a central role in air campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in humanitarian missions, including the 2021 evacuation of Kabul.

Why is it in the news?

On Monday, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry announced it had temporarily closed its airspace amid threats of Iranian retaliation.

“The competent authorities announce the temporary suspension of air traffic in the country’s airspace, as part of a set of precautionary measures taken based on developments in the region,” the ministry said.

The closure came several hours after the US and UK embassies urged their citizens in Qatar to shelter in place out of what it said was “an abundance of caution”.

Later, news agency Reuters cited a Western diplomat as saying there had been a credible Iranian threat against Al Udeid since noon on Monday.

That evening, Qatar’s Defence Minister, cited by Al Jazeera, said the country’s air defences had intercepted missiles directed at Al Udeid.

Was Al Udeid prepared for the attack?

Before targeting Iran’s nuclear sites, it appears that the US started taking precautionary measures.

As US President Donald Trump mulled direct involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict, news agency AFP reported that dozens of US military aircraft were no longer on the tarmac at the air base, basing its assessment on satellite images published by Planet Labs PBC.

Nearly 40 military aircraft – including transport planes like the Hercules C-130 and reconnaissance aircraft – were parked on the tarmac at the base, the regional headquarters of the Pentagon’s Central Command, on June 5. But in an image taken on June 19, only three aircraft were visible.

One US official who spoke to Reuters said aircraft that were not in hardened shelters had been moved from Al Udeid base. Additionally, he said US Navy vessels had been moved from a port in Bahrain, where the US military’s 5th fleet is located.

“It is not an uncommon practice,” the official said. “Force protection is the priority.”

Was Al Udeid involved in US attacks on nuclear sites?

No.

Prior to the US attack on nuclear sites on Sunday, it was reported that B-2 bombers were heading to Guam – a ruse, as it turned out.

As all eyes looked West, seven B-2 stealth bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri in the US at 00:01 EDT (04:01 GMT), according to the Pentagon. The top-secret flights flew straight over the Atlantic to Iran.

None of the US bases in the Middle East were deployed in the US offensive on Iran.

How has Qatar responded to the attack on Al Udeid?

Qatar condemned the attack on the air base, calling it a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty.

“We express the State of Qatar’s strong condemnation of the attack on Al Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and consider it a flagrant violation of the State of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace, as well as of international law,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said in a statement.

Iran and Qatar enjoy fraternal diplomatic relations. Qatar has condemned the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.

Dan Keeler, the new captain of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, called up his football coaches from his days at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High earlier this week, along with his English teacher, to give them a salute for the impact they made on a teenager now in charge of one of the Navy’s most powerful ships.

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Capt. Dan Keeler recognizes his Sherman Oaks Notre Dame teaches and coaches during a changing of command ceremony for the USS Abraham Lincoln.

The speech by Keeler on Wednesday in Coronado at a changing of the command ceremony offered the real reason coaches coach and teachers teach — to make a difference in a student’s life.

“I learned more about hard work, grit, determination and how to handle pain, honestly, from this group,” he said.

He recalled when Notre Dame coach Kevin Rooney gave him a recommendation letter for the Naval Academy:
“Coach Rooney, when you handed me the letter, you said, ‘I think you’re going to be good at this,’ and you were right.”

Keeler added, “There were plenty of championships, but I don’t think that’s how these people measure success. I was a very mediocre backup quarterback and defensive back. If I was playing in a football game, we were winning by a lot.

“Those metrics of winning and losing weren’t the only things that mattered. They were important. These educators took all the time to get the best out of their students and I was one of them. They saw something in me and chose to make a positive impact, and I am forever grateful.”

June 16 (UPI) — The Nimitz aircraft carrier group was rerouted from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East, joining the USS Carl Vinson. The move comes amid airstrikes between Israel and Iran.

Also, the Defense Department is moving aircraft to the European and Central Command theaters if needed to support U.S. bases in the region, the Navy Times reported.

And other ships, including Navy destroyers, are also headed to the region, a U.S. official told NBC News. Those ships, which are now based in U.S. European Command, include ballistic missile defense, or BMD, capabilities. Some destroyers are now stationed off Israel’s coast in the Mediterranean.

“Over the weekend, I directed the deployment of additional capabilities to the United States Central Command Area of Responsibility, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted Monday on X. “Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region.”

The Nimitz was scheduled to go to the Middle East but officials canceled a stop in Vietnam, NBC News reported. The George Washington carrier group is operating in the Philippine Sea.

The Nimitz strike group could reach the Middle East later this week, an official told Politico. The exact location hasn’t been disclosed.

The carrier was sailing in the South China Sea and has made its way through the Strait of Malacca, which connects the Andaman Sea and the South China Sea and is about 1,200 miles from Iran.

The Vinson has sailed in the Arabian Sea, and it has partnered with the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group to hit Houthi targets in Yemen, as well. Its home port is San Diego.

President Donald Trump hasn’t said whether the United States will join Israel against Iran.

“We’re not involved in it,” Trump said during an interview with ABC News. “It’s possible we could get involved. But we are not at this moment involved.”

Israel’s aircraft have mainly been targeting nuclear facilities, including the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant built into a mountain and buried deep underground.

The Nimitz carrier group has about 5,000 sailors and Marines, including aircraft crews. Assigned destroyers are Wilbur, Gridle, Meyer and Higbee

The aircraft carrier was commissioned in 1975 and the home port is in Bremerton, Wash.

All but three of the 11 active U.S. aircraft carriers are in homeports now.

The Vinson and Nimitz are among the 10 in an older carrier class. The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier is only one commissioned in the new class.

May 20 (UPI) — The keel for the future guided-missile destroyer USS Quentin Walsh was officially laid Wednesday in a ceremony at Bath Iron Works in Maine. It is the first time an Arleigh Burke-class ship will be built in honor of a Coast Guard member.

The keel, the structure at the bottom of the ship’s hull, represents the start of construction or birth of the ship. Madison Ann Zolper, the great-granddaughter of the ship’s namesake Coast Guard Capt. Quentin Walsh, attended Wednesday’s ceremony and welded the family’s initials into the keel plate.

“We are honored to mark the beginning of the construction for the future USS Quentin Walsh and celebrate his legacy with his family,” said Capt. Jay Young, Arleigh Burke-class Destroyer program manager for PEO Ships. “DDG 132 will provide our Navy with critical strategic capabilities to support fleet readiness.”

The Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyer, designated as DDG 132, will feature upgraded air and missile defense radar to provide “enhanced war fighting capability to the fleet,” according to the U.S. Navy. The destroyers are designed to fight air, surface and subsurface battles at the same time.

Walsh, who died in 2000 and held various roles in the U.S. Coast Guard, was awarded the Navy Cross for heroic actions in the 1944 Battle of Cherbourg during World War II. Walsh’s 53-man reconnaissance unit captured 750 German soldiers and freed 52 American prisoners of war.

Walsh, who also served during the Korean War, was among those honored in France on the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

“Capt. Walsh was a hero whose efforts during World War II continue to inspire, and his leadership in securing the French port of Cherbourg had a profound effect on the success of the amphibious operations associated with Operation Overlord,” former Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer said at a 2019 ceremony in Cherbourg.

That same year, Adm. Karl Schultz — former commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard — announced the USS Quentin Walsh.

“Naming a future Navy destroyer after Capt. Walsh, the first Arleigh Burke-class ship to be named after a Coast Guard legend, highlights not only his courageous actions but the bravery of all U.S. service members involved in the D-Day invasion of Normandy,” Schultz said in 2019, as the Navy on Tuesday celebrated the start of construction.

“The keel laying of future USS Quentin Walsh (DDG 132) symbolizes the Navy’s 250-year commitment to innovation and maritime dominance,” the U.S. Navy said in a statement. “This milestone marks the Navy’s enduring legacy and commitment to shaping the future of maritime power.”

US President Donald Trump, who promised to end America’s foreign military campaigns, has paid a visit to US troops stationed in Qatar. Trump praised the US’s deadly arsenal, hit out at his predecessor and made fun of France.