Colombian businessman Alex Saab, a close financial fixer for ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, pleaded guilty in Miami to money laundering tied to an alleged bribery conspiracy to win government contracts.
The Trump administration has struck a deal giving the Pentagon a 35% stake in a Venezuelan oil venture led by mogul Alejandro Betancourt, marking an unusual arrangement where the U.S. government would directly collaborate in developing Venezuela's oil resources.
President Trump announced that the U.S. has secured a deal with Venezuela to take control of a significant portion of the country's proven oil reserves, which he described as historic and aimed at lowering gas prices. The agreement comes as U.S. strategic reserves have fallen to 40-year lows.
Venezuela has formally initiated its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, with interim leader Delcy Rodriguez accusing the tribunal of political bias against developing nations. The move comes amid closer alignment with the Trump administration, which has pledged to 'dismantle' the ICC.
Two weeks after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, the death toll has climbed above 3,800 with tens of thousands still missing. The disaster has overwhelmed the country's healthcare system and presents a major crisis for Venezuela's acting president.
