US military strikes drug boats near Trinidad and Tobago, amid rising Caribbean tensions over US-Venezuela clashes and emergency extensions.
Trinidad and Tobago's parliament approved a three-month extension of its state of emergency, allowing increased powers for arrests and searches amid ongoing crime concerns. The move, supported by a 26-12 vote, continues a pattern of emergency measures used to combat violence, despite criticism over human rights and economic impacts.
The US has continued its campaign against vessels it identifies as drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Officials say several vessels have been destroyed with fatalities reported, though no public evidence has been released linking the targets to drug cargo. The White House asserts the actions are lawful and part of an armed conflict with cartels; critics call the strikes illegal and indiscriminate.