The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier heads to the Caribbean as President Donald Trump intensifies naval operations against alleged drug traffickers near Venezuela.

Tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela are ratcheting up, with a showdown between President Trump and Nicolás Maduro putting the two nations on the brink.

Venezuela said it has captured mercenaries "with direct information" relating to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as Caracas accused neighboring Trinidad and Tobago of a "military provocation" by carrying out joint drills with the U.S.

Washington has designated Cuban-trained Maduro as leader of the Cartel of the Suns, allegedly run by members of Venezuela’s elite. Maduro claimed a re-election victory last year in a vote that the US and opposition said was fraudulent.

As the U.S. military presence near Venezuela increases, 60 Minutes traveled to the South American nation for a rare look at what life is like under its embattled dictator, Nicolás Maduro. "Instability isn't just an architectural feature in Venezuela;

On January 6, 2025, four members of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado’s team piled onto a couch in a Capitol Hill office, across from Mike Waltz, who was soon to become Donald Trump’s national security adviser.

On Friday, Colombia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said it will continue to hold talks with Venezuela to seek the release of its citizens from Venezuelan prisons. The Venezuelan human rights groups Penal Forum said there are still 20 Colombian nationals jailed in Venezuela without trial.

Tensions have grown between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago over support for US military action in the Caribbean.