Devastating strike. US military attacks Venezuelan ship. Hegseth: There were"narco-terrorists" on it

According to documents, Maduro addressed the letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He received the letter in October when a high-ranking adviser to the Venezuelan president arrived in the Russian capital for a visit.

Maduro also wrote a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to the documents. In it, he asks him to"expand military cooperation" between the two countries to counter "escalation between the United States and Venezuela." Among other things, the Venezuelan president asks the Chinese government to speed up the production of radar detection systems by Chinese companies.

The documents also show that Transportation Minister Ramón Celestino Velásquez recently coordinated the delivery of military equipment and drones from Iran, the American newspaper writes.

The Kremlin declined to comment on the letter. But the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday evening that Moscow supports Venezuela"in defending its national sovereignty" and is "ready to adequately respond to the requests of our partners in light of emerging threats."

US President Donald Trump confirmed media reports in October that he had authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct covert operations in Venezuela. He also announced that the US military would soon launch a ground operation in Venezuela. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group, which had previously operated in the Mediterranean, to the coast of South America. The Americans are describing the operation as a crucial counter-drug and counter-terrorism mission.