News
CIA launches first drone strike in Venezuela
CIA conducts first drone strike in Venezuela, targeting drug gang facility amid escalating US military campaign
CIA conducts first drone strike in Venezuela, targeting drug gang facility amid escalating US military campaign
– The CIA conducted its first drone strike in Venezuela since the Trump administration’s military campaign began.
– Trump’s operation targeted a dock linked to drug trafficking, resulting in no casualties.
The United States has carried out its first confirmed drone strike inside Venezuela, marking a dramatic escalation in Washington’s expanding military campaign across the Caribbean. The operation, reportedly conducted by the CIA, targeted a remote port facility believed to be used by the Tren de Aragua gang to store and transport narcotics. No casualties were reported, as the dock was empty at the time of the strike.
President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged the attack in late December, describing a “major explosion” at a dock where drug-laden boats were allegedly loaded. Trump first revealed the strike during a radio interview, placing the operation around December 24, before later confirming it to reporters while declining to specify whether the CIA or the military carried out the mission. “I know exactly who it was, but I don’t want to say who it was,” he said from his Mar-a-Lago residence.
Drug networks
The strike comes amid a significant expansion of Operation Southern Spear, now the largest US military deployment in the Caribbean since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Around 15,000 US troops have been positioned across the region, supported by the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group and F-35 fighter jets. Since September, US forces have carried out at least 28 strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, resulting in more than 100 deaths, as Washington intensifies efforts to dismantle transnational drug networks.
The campaign has drawn fierce criticism from legal experts and international bodies. United Nations investigators have condemned the strikes as “extrajudicial executions,” warning they violate the UN Charter’s prohibition on the use of force. US legal scholars have also questioned the domestic legality of the operation, arguing it exceeds constitutional and statutory limits on executive power.
A slave’s peace
Venezuela has not formally commented on the dock strike, though Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello has accused the United States of months of “imperial madness.” President Nicolás Maduro has rejected Trump’s demands to step aside, telling supporters the country seeks peace “with sovereignty, equality, and freedom” — not what he described as “a slave’s peace.”
What’s happening in the Middle East?
-
President Donald Trump says Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed
-
Iran is entering a transitional period, with a three man leadership council temporarily taking control
-
The U.S. military confirms three American service members were killed in the joint Israeli U.S. operation
-
The White House says U.S. forces have destroyed and sunk nine Iranian naval ships
-
Israel and the United States continue strikes on Iranian targets, with Tehran launching missile and drone retaliation across Israel and Gulf states
-
Shipping, aviation and oil markets have been disrupted, with civilians fleeing major cities amid escalating tensions
News
Israel strikes Tehran anew as conflict escalates and global markets react
Israel strikes Tehran after Khamenei’s death; U.S. warns of prolonged conflict as tensions escalate in the Middle East.
Israel strikes Tehran after Khamenei’s death; U.S. warns of prolonged conflict as tensions escalate in the Middle East.
Israel has launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran, following the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned the campaign could last up to a month, framing the operation as a move to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities.
Iran has retaliated with missile attacks, while its Revolutionary Guards claim responsibility for assaults on oil tankers in the Gulf. The escalating hostilities are already disrupting global shipping lanes and air travel, sending shockwaves through international markets.
With reports of the first U.S. casualties emerging and Washington declaring the Tehran operation a success, tensions across the Middle East are intensifying rapidly. The question now is how far this conflict could spread — and at what cost.
Subscribe to never miss an episode of Ticker – https://www.youtube.com/@weareticker
#Israel #Iran #Tehran #MiddleEastConflict #Geopolitics #OilMarkets #BreakingNews #GlobalSecurity
News
U.S. and Israel strike Iran as missiles hit Gulf bases and oil surges
U.S. and Israel launch major military operation against Iran; tensions rise as conflict escalates, impacting global markets.
U.S. and Israel launch major military operation against Iran; tensions rise as conflict escalates, impacting global markets.
The United States and Israel have launched a sweeping military operation against Iran, striking leadership targets and more than 500 military sites in what President Trump has dubbed Operation Epic Fury.
Explosions have rocked Tehran, with civilians fleeing the capital as U.S. sea and air assets carry out sustained attacks. Washington says the mission is designed to prevent a nuclear armed Iran and has even called on Iranians to rise up against the regime.
Iran has retaliated with a barrage of missiles and drones targeting Israel and U.S. bases across the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. While many projectiles were intercepted, a U.S. base in Bahrain sustained damage.
Gulf states long seen as stable hubs for global business are now directly in the firing line, raising fears of a wider regional war.
Oil prices are climbing and tankers are diverting from the Strait of Hormuz as markets react to the escalating conflict. U.S. aircraft carriers, advanced fighter jets and missile destroyers remain in position, signalling more strikes could follow.
With global leaders scrambling diplomatically, the world is watching to see whether this spirals further or shifts back to negotiations.
-
Money4 days agoAustralia’s inflation report and Nvidia earnings impact explained
-
Tech4 days ago
Meta launches lawsuits over alleged scam advertising operations
-
News2 days ago
Crude oil prices spike amid U.S.-Israel military action
-
News2 days ago
Iran warns ships to avoid Strait of Hormuz
-
News2 days ago
U.S. and Israel attack Iran, escalating regional conflict
-
News13 hours ago
Iran live updates: Trump claims Khamenei dead as Iran insists he remains in command
-
Tech5 days ago
Nvidia earnings soar as AI drives 75% revenue growth
-
News5 days ago
Qantas announces 8,500 jobs and frequent flyer changes
