Tren de Aragua (Gang)

• Federal Officials Identify Pair Shot by Border Patrol in Portland, Ore. - The shooting during a traffic stop, a day after the killing of a woman in Minneapolis by an ICE agent, generated angry denunciations by local officials.
• The C.I.A. Strike on Venezuela: What to Know - The drone attack, said to be on a dock where drugs were being prepared for loading on boats, represented a further escalation of the Trump administration’s campaign against Nicolás Maduro.
• C.I.A. Conducted Drone Strike on Port in Venezuela - The attack last week, on a dock purportedly used for shipping narcotics, did not kill anyone, people briefed on the operation said. But it was the first known U.S. operation inside Venezuela.
• Judge Tells U.S. to Help Bring Back Deported Venezuelans or Allow Legal Challenges - The judge said the administration had to decide by Jan. 5 whether it wanted to “facilitate” the men’s return to the United States or let them contest their initial removals in the federal courts.
• Trump Relies on Distortions to Support His Pressure Campaign on Venezuela - The president has a long record of making false or misleading statements. But the sheer density of them in his administration’s boat attacks and Venezuela pressure campaign is exceptional.
• Chile Poised for Right-Wing Victory as Crime Fears Sweep Latin America - Security has become a top concern for voters across the region who are calling for iron-fisted measures. In Chile, the issue is pushing the country to the right.
• Nobel Peace Prize for Venezuela’s María Corina Machado Draws Criticism - María Corina Machado is being honored for her push for democracy even as she backs President Trump’s military buildup and aggressive campaign against Venezuela.
• Trump Declares Venezuelan Airspace Closed - President Trump said days earlier that the United States could “very soon” expand its campaign of killing people at sea suspected of drug trafficking to attacking Venezuelan territory.