WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military on Thursday reported two major incidents that occurred in recent days tied to the massive buildup of forces in the Caribbean Sea — a Marine who died after falling overboard and a collision between two Navy ships that left two sailors with minor injuries.
A report was made Saturday that Lance Cpl. Chukwuemeka E. Oforah, 21, of Florida, had fallen from the USS Iwo Jima amphibious assault ship, the Marine Corps said in a press release. The military used five Navy ships, 10 aircraft and an Air Force Reaper drone in “an extensive, around-the-clock 72-hour search and rescue operation,” the release said, but he was declared dead Tuesday.
It appears to be the first publicly announced death of a service member during the U.S. military operation in the region. The Trump administration built up the largest military presence in the region in generations before carrying out a series of deadly strikes on alleged drug boats since September, seizing sanctioned oil tankers and conducting a surprise raid last month that captured Venezuela’s then-president, Nicolás Maduro.
Also Thursday, U.S. Southern Command announced that the destroyer USS Truxtun and the supply ship USNS Supply collided as the warship was getting a new load of supplies. The maneuver typically has the vessels sailing parallel, usually within hundreds of feet, while fuel and supplies are transferred across the gap via hoses and cables.
The collision occurred when the supply ship was refueling the cruiser USS Gettysburg on one side and the Truxtun approached from the other side, according to a U.S. official familiar with the collision, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a mishap that is under investigation.
Southern Command said two personnel reported minor injuries and that both were in stable condition. The two ships now are sailing safely, the military statement said.
The USS Truxtun left its home port in Norfolk, Virginia, on Feb. 3. The destroyer had to return to port for several days to conduct “an emergent equipment repair” and it ultimately set sail for the Caribbean on Feb. 6, according to a Navy official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operational details.
In the Caribbean, the naval presence alone stands at 12 ships, including the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, as well as the Iwo Jima and two other amphibious assault ships, which are carrying thousands of Marines.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the collision, which is rare for warships. The Navy's most recent collision occurred in February 2025 when the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman collided with a merchant vessel just outside the Suez Canal near Port Said, Egypt. That resulted in minor damage to the Truman but no injuries.
An investigation released in December revealed that as the aircraft carrier was running behind schedule, the officer navigating the ship drove it at an unsafely high speed.
As a merchant ship moved into a collision path with the carrier, the officer in charge did not take enough action to move out of danger and the ship also was traveling so fast that it would have needed almost a mile and a half to come to a stop after halting the engines, the report found.
FILE - U.S. warship the USS Truxtun sails in Bosporus Strait en route to the Black Sea, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 7, 2014. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, file)
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s ruling-party-controlled parliament on Thursday debated a measure that could free hundreds of opposition members, activists and human rights defenders who have been detained for months or years for political reasons.
The debate in itself was a stark turn for Venezuela, where authorities have for decades denied the country has any political prisoners. Although lawmakers approved portions of the measure, they ultimately voted to suspend the session to resolve some sticking points, including whether people who left the country to avoid detention can be granted amnesty.
The debate is expected to resume next week.
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez proposed the bill weeks after the U.S. military captured then-President Nicolás Maduro in a stunning raid Jan. 3 in the country’s capital, Caracas.
The bill's latest draft defines its purpose as "granting a general and full amnesty for crimes or offenses committed” during specific periods since 1999 that were marked by politically-driven conflicts in Venezuela, including the “acts of politically motivated violence” in the context of the 2024 presidential election.
Ruling party loyalists declared Maduro the winner of that election despite ample credible evidence to the contrary. That led to protests and the arrest of more than 2,000 people.
General amnesty has long been a central demand of Venezuela's opposition and human rights organizations, but they have viewed the proposal with cautious optimism and raised several concerns about how it will be implemented and who will be eligible for release.
Venezuela-based prisoners’ rights group Foro Penal estimates more than 600 people are in custody for political reasons.
In the days after Maduro's capture, Rodríguez's government announced it would release a significant number of prisoners. But relatives and human rights watchdogs have criticized the slow pace of releases. Foro Penal has tallied 431.
Families hoping for the release of their loves ones have spent days outside detention facilities. On Sunday, at least 30 people were freed, including several people affiliated with the political movement of Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado.
Opposition leader and Machado ally Juan Pablo Guanipa was among those released. But he was rearrested less than 12 hours later, accused of violating the conditions of his release. Authorities placed him on house arrest and never explained his alleged violation. The only two restrictions listed in his release order were monthly check-ins with a court and no travel outside Venezuela.
On Thursday, roughly 2,000 people marched on the campus of the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas to demand the release of all prisoners detained for political reasons.
In announcing the amnesty bill last month, Rodríguez told a gathering of justices, magistrates, ministers, military brass and other government leaders she hoped the law could help “heal the wounds left by the political confrontation fueled by violence and extremism.”
“May it serve to redirect justice in our country, and may it serve to redirect coexistence among Venezuelans," she said at the time, adding that people convicted of murder, drug trafficking, corruption or human rights violations will not qualify for release.
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez speaks with lawmakers during debate on an amnesty bill in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
Sandra Rosales, whose husband is detained at a different facility, cries outside the Zona 7 detention center of the Bolivarian National Police, after listening to lawmakers debate an amnesty bill at the National Assembly, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Congressperson Nicolas Maduro Guerra, the son of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, speaks during debate on an amnesty bill at the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
Lawmakers vote on an amnesty bill at the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez speaks with lawmakers during debate on an amnesty bill in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
Sandra Rosales, whose husband is detained at a different facility, cries outside the Zona 7 detention center of the Bolivarian National Police, after listening to lawmakers debate an amnesty bill at the National Assembly, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Congressperson Nicolas Maduro Guerra, the son of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, speaks during debate on an amnesty bill at the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
Government supporters march with signs calling for the return of former President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores as they mark National Youth Day in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
People attend a student-led march on National Youth Day to call for the release of detainees, considered to be political prisoners by their relatives and human rights groups, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Demonstrators hold a Venezuelan and U.S. national flags during a student-led march calling for the release of people considered political prisoners on National Youth Day, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Lawmakers vote on an amnesty bill at the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez smiles after bidding farewell to U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright following their meeting at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
A demonstrator holds a Venezuelan flag during a student-led march calling for the release of people whose relatives and human rights groups consider political prisoners on National Youth Day in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026.(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
People who consider their detained family members to be political prisoners protest for their releases outside the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Students march on National Youth Day, calling for the release of people considered political prisoners, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
