Caracas accuses Washington of violating international law after President Donald Trump orders sweeping restrictions on oil tankers amid rising military pressure in the Caribbean.

U.S. Navy aircraft carried out patrol flights Friday near the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao as part of what Washington describes as an expanded security operation targeting illicit trafficking networks - a move Venezuela denounced as an act of intimidation and a prelude to broader conflict in the region.

SHOTLIST CARACAS, VENEZUELA (DEC. 15, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL) (NIGHT SHOTS) 1. VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS WAVING FLAGS AND CARRYING BANNERS WHILE MARCHING CARACAS, VENEZUELA - DEC. 15: Venezuela’s rul

With the economy in ruins, and U.S. military forces off the coast, uncertainty and rumors mark life in Venezuela, dampening the yuletide mood.

Opposition leader María Corina Machado plans to return to Venezuela whether or not President Nicolás Maduro is removed from power