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Evening Brief: US Seizes Fifth Venezuela-Linked Oil Tanker; Ceasefire Declared in Aleppo; China, Russia, Iran Kick Off Week-Long Naval Drills

BY Guy D. McCardle

US seizes Venezuela tanker as Iran unrest grows and Gaza violence rises. Here’s what’s making headlines this Friday evening.

A screengrab from a video posted by US Southern Command on Friday, January 9, 2026, shows joint interagency forces apprehending an oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. Image Credit: @Southcom/X

Friday’s major developments are in. Here’s your evening briefing for January 9, 2026.

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US Seizes Fifth Venezuela-Linked Oil Tanker in Caribbean Crackdown

US forces boarded and seized the oil tanker Olina early Friday in the Caribbean Sea as part of a Trump administration campaign to intercept sanctioned tankers linked to Venezuelan oil exports.

Marines and Navy personnel launched the pre-dawn operation from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), and the Coast Guard took control of the vessel, US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said.

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The Olina is the fifth tanker seized in recent weeks in an effort to enforce US sanctions on Venezuelan oil and cut off revenue streams, Washington says, that benefit illicit networks and the Maduro regime. The ship had been operating without location signals and was suspected of flying a false flag to evade detection.

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The administration says proceeds from seized oil and sales will help fund rebuilding Venezuela’s oil infrastructure and benefit both Venezuelan and US interests.

US President Donald Trump has described the broader operation as part of closer cooperation with Venezuela’s interim government following the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

 

Trump Courts Oil Giants for $100B Venezuela Revival After Maduro Ouster

US President Donald Trump met with top oil executives at the White House on Friday to seek up to $100 billion in private investment to revive Venezuela’s oil industry following the US military capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The meeting, involving executives from 17 US and international energy companies, comes as the Trump administration moves to control the export and sale of Venezuelan oil, including the seizure of five tankers in recent weeks and plans to sell 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned crude.

Trump framed the strategy as a way to stabilize Venezuela, rebuild its oil infrastructure, and keep US gasoline prices low, while signaling long-term American oversight of the sector.

 

US and Venezuela Explore Restoring Diplomatic Ties After Maduro’s Capture

The United States and Venezuela said Friday they are exploring the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations as a Trump administration delegation visited Caracas to assess reopening the US Embassy, marking a significant thaw after years of hostility.

The visit follows a US military operation that captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and brought him to New York to face federal drug-trafficking charges.

The State Department said the small team of US diplomats and security personnel is conducting a preliminary review of conditions for reopening the embassy. Venezuela’s interim government, led by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, said it plans to send a delegation to the United States to continue discussions, though a date is pending and may require sanctions waivers.

Both sides framed the talks as an initial step toward normalizing relations severed in 2019, when Washington recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó and closed its Caracas embassy amid long-standing political tensions and disagreements over Venezuela’s leadership and oil sector.

 

Veteran ICE Officer Identified in Minneapolis Fatal Shooting as Investigations Continue

The federal agent who shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis has been identified as Jonathan Ross, a longtime Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer and Iraq War veteran, according to records obtained and reported by The Associated Press on Friday.

Ross, who has served nearly two decades in federal law enforcement, fired the fatal shot Wednesday as Good attempted to drive away from agents during an enforcement operation.

Federal officials said Ross believed the vehicle posed an imminent threat, while video evidence has raised questions about whether the shooting was justified.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the deadly use of force as Minnesota officials and protesters call for independent scrutiny and possible criminal charges.

 

National WWII Memorial to Close for $3.7 Million Renovation Through May

The National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., will close for about five months as crews carry out a $3.7 million renovation to upgrade lighting and aging infrastructure, the National Park Service announced this week.

The closure, which begins during the busy spring tourist season, is expected to last until mid-May and will block public access to a site that draws roughly 5 million visitors each year.

The project includes new lighting for the fountain and pillars, along with electrical and mechanical upgrades aimed at improving safety and nighttime visibility.

Officials said the work follows a March executive order by US President Donald Trump directing investment in restoring and beautifying federal memorials.

Park Service officials said all renovations will meet historic preservation standards, while temporary fencing and construction barriers may affect nearby pedestrian routes.

 

Italy to Host NATO’s First Overseas F-35 Pilot Training Center

Italy will host the first F-35 Lightning II pilot training facility outside the United States, expanding NATO’s capacity to train crews for the fifth-generation fighter as demand grows across Europe.

The $130 million multinational center will be built at a joint military-civilian airport near Trapani in northwestern Sicily, the Italian Defense Ministry announced this week.

Financed by Italy and overseen by the F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin, the facility is expected to begin ground training by December 2028 and reach full operational capability by July 2029.

The move reflects rising NATO reliance on the F-35, now operated by at least 13 European countries, amid heightened security tensions with Russia. The new center strengthens Italy’s role in the F-35 program, which already includes European assembly, maintenance, and operational squadrons based in the country.

 

Europe Urges Iran to Restrain Crackdown as Protests Turn Deadly

European leaders on Friday urged Iran to allow peaceful demonstrations after Tehran signaled a looming security crackdown on nationwide protests that have killed at least 62 people since late December.

The unrest, which began over Iran’s collapsing economy and spread across major cities including Tehran, has become the most serious challenge to the Islamic Republic in years.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed the United States and dismissed US President Donald Trump’s support for protesters, while Iran’s judiciary vowed harsh punishment and state media labeled demonstrators as terrorists.

Germany, Britain, and France condemned reports of deadly force and called on Iran to respect citizens’ rights, as authorities imposed an internet blackout that limited independent verification of events.

The protests, fueled in part by calls from exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, come amid rising international pressure and renewed US warnings of consequences if Iranian security forces kill demonstrators.

 

Israeli Strikes Kill 13 in Gaza as US Prepares Ceasefire Oversight Board

Israeli airstrikes across Gaza killed at least 13 people on Thursday, including children, according to local health officials, as the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains under strain.

The Israeli military said it struck Hamas fighters and infrastructure in northern and southern Gaza in response to a failed militant projectile launch from the Gaza City area.

The deaths come as US President Donald Trump is expected to announce next week the members of his Board of Peace, which would oversee the ceasefire and broader stabilization efforts.

The board, led by Trump and with Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov named as its designated director-general, aims to supervise a technocratic Palestinian government, Hamas disarmament, Israeli troop withdrawals, and reconstruction.

Nearly three months after the ceasefire took effect, continued violence, unresolved disputes, and worsening humanitarian conditions highlight the challenges facing efforts to secure lasting peace.

 

Ceasefire Declared in Aleppo After Clashes Displace 140,000

Syria’s Defense Ministry announced a ceasefire early Friday after three days of fighting between government forces and Kurdish fighters in northern Aleppo displaced more than 140,000 people.

The truce, effective at 3 a.m. local time in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh, and Bani Zaid, called on Kurdish fighters to withdraw within six hours under government escort to Syria’s northeast, but no departures occurred and local Kurdish councils rejected the order.

Both sides accused each other of starting the clashes, which killed at least 21 civilians and damaged civilian infrastructure.

The United States welcomed the ceasefire and said it was working to extend it beyond the initial deadline.

 

China, Russia, Iran Kick Off Week-Long Naval Drills With South Africa

Chinese, Russian and Iranian warships began a week of naval exercises off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa on Friday, part of a BRICS-linked maritime cooperation effort as geopolitical tensions rise over US actions in Venezuela and broader global rivalries.

The drills, scheduled to run through January 16, aim to practice maritime safety, anti-piracy operations and enhance interoperability among participating navies under the BRICS Plus framework, South African defense officials said.

China, Russia and South Africa are founding BRICS members, and Iran joined the bloc in 2024. It was not immediately clear whether additional BRICS Plus countries — including Brazil, India and the United Arab Emirates — would take part.

The exercises mark a continuation of multinational drills in the region and follow earlier joint operations among the same countries.

The timing and participants have drawn criticism from US officials and domestic South African opposition, who argue the drills align Pretoria more closely with sanctioned states and could strain relations with Washington.

 

Sources: News Agencies

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