The U.S. Senate, followed by the House of Representatives, held closed-door briefings this morning with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on recent U.S. military strikes targeting alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, according to C-SPAN. Lawmakers from both chambers may speak on camera to the press following the meetings, C-SPAN reported in a post shared during the 10:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. UTC window on December 16, 2025. Separately, the U.S. is preparing to seize additional sanctioned oil-filled tankers off Venezuela as the Trump administration launches a new phase of its pressure campaign against President Nicolás Maduro, Axios reported in an article published during the same three-hour period.
