Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro praised the country’s defence forces for downing aircraft allegedly linked to drug trafficking along Venezuela’s borders with Colombia and Brazil. Speaking in Aragua, Maduro described the operation as a “world record,” claiming nine foreign aircraft were intercepted within 24 hours, although the military later reported eight. Authorities said the operation took place in the Alto Orinoco region near Brazil, part of broader anti-narcotics efforts that saw 39 aircraft disabled in 2025. Maduro also accused U.S. media of spreading misinformation about Venezuela and condemned recent U.S. military deployments and tanker seizures in the Caribbean, which Caracas says threaten its sovereignty.