Breaking News: Trump Calls Top Officials to Oval Office to Discuss 'Next Steps' on Venezuela

President Donald Trump plans to meet with his senior national security advisors in the Oval Office on Monday evening for a confidential discussion about the next steps in U.S. policy toward Venezuela. Sources familiar with the matter told CNN that attendees are expected to include Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. The session is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET.

This meeting follows an increased U.S. military presence in the region, including recent strikes targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean. Over the weekend, Trump issued a broad online warning to airlines, pilots, and criminal networks to stay clear of Venezuelan airspace.

Meanwhile, Congress has launched investigations in both the House and Senate into an alleged double tap strike on a Venezuelan ship on September 2. Reporting from the Washington Post claims that Hegseth allegedly gave a verbal order to kill everybody aboard the vessel, part of a series of U.S. strikes in the past three months that have resulted in more than 80 deaths. Trump, however, rejected these claims during a press encounter on Air Force One on Sunday, stating, He said he did not say that, and I believe him completely. I wouldnt have wanted that, not a second strike.

Hegseth has defended the operations, asserting that they were conducted in accordance with both U.S. and international law.

Author: Sophia Brooks