President Donald Trump announced on Jan. 3 that the US would "run" Venezuela, following a strike on the country that led to the capture and transfer to the US of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores.

Chinese officials on Dec. 22 condemned the US seizure of oil tankers headed from Venezuelan ports, calling the acts a "serious violation of international law."

"Venezuela has the right to independently develop mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press conference. Jian stated that China opposes unilateral enforcement of sanctions that lack "basis in international law" and infringe on the sovereignty of other nations.

The United Nations on Dec.1 urged all countries to respect international norms safeguarding civil aviation, following US President Donald Trump's announcement of his intention to "completely shut down" Venezuelan airspace.

UN human rights experts raised concern on Nov. 4 over "repeated and systematic lethal attacks" by the US military against vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, which they said could constitute war crimes under international maritime law.

The UN Security Council on Oct. 1 approved a resolution transforming the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission—whose mandate ended the following day—into a Gang Suppression Force (GSF).

Three US Aegis guided-missile destroyers have been dispatched to waters off the coast of Venezuela, as part of what the Trump administration calls an effort to counter threats from Latin American drug cartels. The mobilization follows Washington's decision to increase the bounty for the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, doubling it to an unprecedented $50 million. Last week, US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the seizure of assets worth $700 million from the Venezuelan head of state.

The US on Aug. 12 indicted Jimmy Chérizier AKA "Barbecue," leader of the gang coalition in control of most of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, and offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest. Chérizier and an alleged stateside collaborator, Bazile Richardson, are charged with sanctions violations related to arms sales. Meanwhile, private military contractor and Trump ally Erik Prince told Reuters he has signed a 10-year deal with the Haitian government to fight armed groups and help collect taxes—a move some observers fear could further weaken the Haitian security forces and lead to rights violations. Prince's new security firm, Vectus Global, has been operating in Haiti since March. (TNH)

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on April 24 urged political candidates in Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) to reaffirm their commitment to press freedom ahead of the upcoming elections, following a sharp drop in the country's security ranking on RSF's World Press Freedom Index. Rising crime and the declaration of a state of emergency caused the country's security score, ranking the level of safety for journalists, to fall from 6th to 24th in 2024.