Venezuela
U.S. sends aircraft carrier to South America in major escalation of military firepower
The deployment and the quickening pace of U.S. strikes, including one Friday, raised new speculation about how far the Trump administration may go in operations it says are targeted at drug trafficking.
As strikes on alleged drug boats grow, so do questions about their legality and goal
President Trump says he has authority to carry out the strikes, but international experts are asking if the attacks are truly about countering narcotics or instead toppling Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro.
Senators will force a vote to prevent war on Venezuela without approval from Congress
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia says new legislation is needed to prevent the Trump administration's escalating actions against Venezuela from leading to war.
U.S. commander overseeing attacks against alleged drug boats off Venezuela to retire
The news of Adm. Alvin Holsey's upcoming retirement comes two days after the U.S. military's fifth deadly strike in the Caribbean against a small boat accused of carrying drugs.
As U.S. pressure mounts, Venezuela’s foreign ‘hostages’ face growing uncertainty
Dozens of foreign nationals are locked up in Venezuelan prisons, accused of crimes they may not have committed. As the U.S. ramps up pressure on Caracas, families fear for their loved ones stuck there.
With ‘drug boat’ strikes, Trump leans into war on terror tactic against cartels
The administration's approach to drug cartels relies — at least in part — on a blueprint for military strikes that mirror those waged during the global war on terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
The U.S. is designating Ecuador’s largest gangs as terrorists
The U.S. is designating Ecuador's two largest gangs — Los Choneros and Los Lobos — as foreign terrorist organizations.
Trump cannot use Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan gang members, appeals court rules
The administration deported people designated as Tren de Aragua members to a notorious prison in El Salvador where, it argued, U.S. courts could not order them freed.
Trump confirms U.S. strike on alleged Venezuelan drug boat
President Trump says the U.S. military has struck a drug-laden vessel in the southern Caribbean after it left Venezuela. The strike comes a week after Washington deployed warships to the region.
‘Hell on Earth’: Venezuelans deported to El Salvador mega-prison tell of brutal abuse
Deported under a little-known wartime law, more than 130 Venezuelans were sent from the U.S. to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. Now released, several tell NPR they endured beatings, sexual abuse, and near-total isolation.
In Florida, Venezuelans worry about the potential loss of temporary protected status
When the U.S. Supreme Court said Monday the Trump administration could strip legal protections from 350,000 Venezuelans while litigation continues in the lower courts, the move sent shockwaves.
Trump administration can strip protected status for Venezuelans for now
The move could potentially lead to the deportations of some 350,000 Venezuelans while litigation continues in the lower courts.
Trump-appointed federal judge blocks use of Alien Enemies Act for Venezuelans in South Texas
The Trump administration, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez, Jr., ruled, does not "possess the lawful authority under the (Alien Enemies Act), and based on the Proclamation, to detain Venezuelan aliens, transfer them within the United States, or remove them from the country."
Supreme Court backs Trump in controversial deportations case
The order marks a win for the Trump administration, even if temporary, and it could well be a harbinger of things to come as the administration continues to clash with federal courts.
Judge considers ‘contempt’ after Trump officials stonewall ruling on migrant removal flights
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg Thursday pushed, once again, the Justice Department to explain its use of the Alien Enemies Act and provide key details and the timeline of the flights.
Judge pauses Trump administration plans to end deportation protection for Venezuelans
A federal judge on Monday paused plans by the Trump administration to end temporary legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, a week before they were scheduled to expire.
Advocates say flawed ‘checklist’ targets Venezuelans for deportation under archaic wartime act
Flawed deportation 'checklist' targets Venezuelans using tattoos as one gang identifier. But experts say Tren de Aragua doesn't use tattoos for member identification.
Trump asks Supreme Court to allow deportations under Alien Enemies Act
The American Civil Liberties Union and Democracy Forward sued the Trump administration over its use of the wartime law to quickly deport people, which they say violates due process.
DHS revokes legal protections for 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans
The Department of Homeland Security's new policy, revoking legal protections for hundreds of thousands, impacts people who are already in the U.S. and who came under a humanitarian parole program.
Tensions mount as DOJ gives sworn response to judge’s questions about deportations
Trump administration lawyers defended the weekend flights that deported hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members despite a federal judge's order to turn the planes around.
Tren de Aragua — all you need to know about the Venezuelan gang
The Trump administration has invoked a 227-year-old law, the Alien Enemies Act, to target Tren de Aragua, a gang with its roots in the prisons of Venezuela. Who are they and how wide is their reach?
