Venezuela’s defense minister said Wednesday that planes and ships from the nation's armed forces will escort Iranian tankers arriving with fuel to the gasoline-starved country in case of any U.S. aggression.
The Air National Guard unit, which the Pentagon won’t name for OPSEC reasons, is being activated in response to an executive order issued Thursday by President Donald Trump, calling on Defense Secretary Mark Esper to provide additional personnel to support the effort.
The top U.S. military commander for Latin America said Friday that the Trump administration isn’t looking to use military force to remove Nicolas Maduro even as it expands counternarcotics operations in the Caribbean.