OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has not spoken to Micah Parsons since the star defensive end publicly requested a trade last week.
Jones spoke to reporters Tuesday following a joint practice between the Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams, his second such media session in four days after Parsons took to social media Friday amid a breakdown in negotiating a contract extension.
Asked if he has any confidence Parsons will be on the field ready to play for the Cowboys in their season opener at the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 4, Jones said, “Again, no. Absolutely not. A big part of that is his decision. How would I know that?”
Jones again said that the Cowboys organization has not has direct contact with Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, before reiterating that he does not consider the holdup in talks unusual.
“There’s points of varying degrees of influencing not having something done, but nothing that I would say is out of the ordinary,” Jones said.
Parsons has not responded publicly to Jones’ remarks. The 26-year-old remains at training camp but has yet to participate because of a sore back. He spent part of Tuesday’s workout talking to Cowboys defensive back Trevon Diggs, Rams wide receiver Davante Adams, and former Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth.
“I did notice him, but there’s 200 players out here, and a lot of good ones, and so that’s really what you’re dealing with,” Jones said of Parsons’ continued attendance at practice. “All of our fans know that when you walk out here. In this case, 200 football players out here, so you’re not just having someone snap out at you in terms of what you’re paying attention to.”
Jones again alluded to his direct conversations with Parsons in the spring over a contract extension that would almost certainly make the two-time All-Pro the highest-paid defender in NFL history. The nature of those talks has been disputed by Parsons, who is going into the final season of his five-year rookie contract and could be franchise tagged in 2026 without an extension.
“There is no question that in the case of the player contract, you have to have it in writing,” Jones said. “All parties do. Do we have a contract in writing? Yet we’re still talking about renegotiating. So, so much for that.”
Jones continues to express his belief the issue can be resolved to the satisfaction of both Parsons and the Cowboys.
“Our future is a challenge, and I’m built for it, and he’s built for it,” Jones said.
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Dallas Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons, left, and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua greet each other during a training camp scrimmage, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Oxnard, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration says has ties to Venezuela, part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country’s oil.
The U.S. Coast Guard boarded the tanker, named Veronica, early Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on social media. The ship had previously passed through Venezuelan waters and was operating in defiance of President Donald Trump’s "established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean,” she said.
U.S. Southern Command said Marines and sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to take part in the operation alongside a Coast Guard tactical team, which Noem said conducted the boarding as in previous raids. The military said the ship was seized “without incident.”
Several U.S. government social media accounts posted brief videos that appeared to show various parts of the ship’s capture. Black-and-white footage showed at least four helicopters approaching the ship before hovering over the deck while armed troops dropped down by rope. At least nine people could be seen on the deck of the ship.
The Veronica is the sixth sanctioned tanker seized by U.S. forces as part of the effort by Trump’s administration to control the production, refining and global distribution of Venezuela’s oil products and the fourth since the U.S. ouster of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid almost two weeks ago.
The Veronica last transmitted its location on Jan. 3 as being at anchor off the coast of Aruba, just north of Venezuela’s main oil terminal. According to the data it transmitted at the time, it was partially filled with crude.
The ship is currently listed as flying the flag of Guyana and is considered part of the shadow fleet that moves cargoes of oil in violation of U.S. sanctions.
According to its registration data, the ship also has been known as the Gallileo, owned and managed by a company in Russia. In addition, a tanker with the same registration number previously sailed under the name Pegas and was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department for moving cargoes of illicit Russian oil.
As with prior posts about such raids, Noem and the military framed the seizure as part of an effort to enforce the law. Noem argued that the multiple captures show that “there is no outrunning or escaping American justice.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House later Thursday, Noem declined to say how many sanctioned oil tankers the U.S. is tracking or whether the government is keeping tabs on freighters beyond the Caribbean Sea.
“I can’t speak to the specifics of the operation, although we are watching the entire shadow fleet and how they’re moving,” she told reporters.
However, other officials in Trump's Republican administration have made clear that they see the actions as a way to generate cash as they seek to rebuild Venezuela’s battered oil industry and restore its economy.
Trump met with executives from oil companies last week to discuss his goal of investing $100 billion in Venezuela to repair and upgrade its oil production and distribution. His administration has said it expects to sell at least 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil.
This story has been corrected to show the Veronica is the fourth, not the third, tanker seized by U.S. forces since Maduro’s capture and the ship also has been known as the Gallileo, not the Galileo.
Associated Press writer Ben Finley contributed to this report.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport, Nov. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill, File)
