Trump engages with Rubio, Hegseth amid rising U.S.-Venezuela tensions.
President Donald Trump will convene a senior national‑security meeting at his Mar‑a‑Lago resort on Monday, inviting Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Navy Secretary John Phelan. White‑House officials described the event as a “major announcement,” and a ship‑building initiative was said to be on the agenda, though no official statement has been released.
U.S. Coast Guard operations in the Caribbean have intensified against a Venezuelan “shadow fleet” of oil tankers. This is the second day the Coast Guard is pursuing a sanctioned vessel that is flying a false flag and is under a U.S. judicial seizure order. Earlier this week the agency seized two other Panama‑flagged tankers, the Centuries and the Skipper, both identified as part of the Venezuelan shadow fleet.
Trump has publicly called for a blockade of Venezuela and demanded the return of assets seized from U.S. oil companies. He has repeatedly warned that President Nicolás Maduro’s tenure is limited and has framed the maritime action as part of a broader pressure campaign.
A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman reported that, starting Friday, the ministry has begun evacuating the families of Venezuelan diplomats, including women and children. The official described the situation in Venezuela as “very grim,” while responses from the White House and the Kremlin have not yet been issued.
At the El Palito port in Puerto Cabello, the tanker Evana was docked by the local refinery on Sunday. Residents observed a reduced presence of tankers compared with previous years. The U.S. Defense Department has continued an interdiction campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, targeting smaller vessels allegedly linked to drug trafficking; a total of 104 people have died in 28 known strikes since early September, drawing criticism from lawmakers and human‑rights advocates.