Morning Brief: US Amphibious Task Force Nears Venezuela, North Korea Operates Secret Long-Range Missile Base Near China Border

· Guy D. McCardle

A US Navy LCAC approaches USS San Antonio (LPD 17) during onload operations in the Atlantic, August 15, 2025. (DVIDS)

Good morning—it’s Friday, August 22, 2025. Here’s what’s driving the day: The Trump administration gutted ODNI, slashing its budget and scrapping the foreign influence center. A powerful US amphibious task force closed in on Venezuela as Washington ramps up pressure on Maduro. Four soldiers face charges in a barracks sexual assault at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. In Gaza, Israel threatened to level Gaza City if Hamas resists the ceasefire terms. Meanwhile, the EU rejected land concessions to Russia as Ukraine struck a major oil pipeline. A report exposed North Korea’s secret ICBM base near China, South Korea’s president braces for a summit with Trump, and Australia deepened defense ties with the Philippines amid rising South China Sea tensions.

—

 

Trump Administration Slashes ODNI Budget, Workforce, and Foreign Influence Operations

The Trump administration announced a major downsizing of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) on Wednesday, cutting its budget by over $700 million and reducing its workforce by more than 40 percent.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the move aims to end the “weaponization of intelligence” and restore public trust.

Key among the changes is the dismantling of the Foreign Malign Influence Center, which tracked foreign interference in US elections. Gabbard called the election focus politically biased and said its functions would be absorbed by other agencies.

Critics argue the center was vital in coordinating interagency intelligence and countering disinformation from Russia, China, and Iran.

The cuts follow similar rollbacks at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s foreign influence task force, the State Department’s disinformation office, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Republicans praised the reforms, while Democrats raised concerns about weakening national security.

 

US Amphibious Task Force Nears Venezuela in Major Anti-Narcotics Deployment

The United States has deployed a powerful amphibious task force off the coast of Venezuela, adding the USS San Antonio (LPD-17), USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7), and USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) to a group of three Navy destroyers as part of a major counternarcotics mission.

The force includes 4,500 personnel, including a 2,200-strong Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and could be positioned near Venezuela as early as Sunday.

The Pentagon has not officially disclosed the mission, but officials say the deployment aligns with President Donald Trump’s push to combat “narco-terrorist organizations,” including Venezuela’s Cartel of the Suns, which the US recently designated a global terrorist group led by Nicolás Maduro.

The administration has placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro and expanded authority for military and financial action against cartels.

The amphibious ships bring expanded land and air assault capabilities, including rapid deployment of Marines. Their arrival follows the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to foreign influence task forces and adds pressure to Maduro’s regime amid indictments and international isolation.

In response, Maduro announced the mobilization of over 4.5 million armed militia members and called US actions “extravagant threats.” Regional allies condemned the deployment during an ALBA summit, calling it a violation of international law.

 

Four Soldiers Charged in Barracks Sexual Assault at Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Four US Army soldiers—Cpl. Pedro Angel Ruiz, Pvt. 2nd Class Deron J. Gordon, Spc. Jadon Bosarge, and Pfc. Kallon Curiel—have recently been charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault that occurred in the barracks at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, on October 27, 2024, according to the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel.

The cases are at varying stages of legal proceedings.

Gordon has pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including 12 counts of sexual assault, while Ruiz, Curiel, and Bosarge face a mix of charges ranging from sexual misconduct and conspiracy to sexual assault of a child.

An Article 32 hearing for Curiel is scheduled for Friday, with Ruiz’s trial set for November.

The charges come amid continued efforts by the Department of Defense to crack down on sexual assault in the ranks. The Army saw a 13 percent decline in reported sexual assaults in 2024, contributing to an overall four percent drop across the military, according to the Pentagon’s latest report.

The Army’s new Special Trial Counsel office, created in 2023, is leading the prosecutions.

 

Israel Threatens to Level Gaza City as Major Offensive Looms

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Friday that Gaza City could face total destruction if Hamas refuses Israel’s ceasefire terms.

The warning follows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s order to launch a major offensive aimed at seizing the city, which serves as Hamas’ military and political stronghold.

Katz vowed that Gaza City would become the next Rafah or Beit Hanoun unless Hamas releases all hostages and disarms.

Hamas, which accepted a ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators earlier this week, rejects disarmament without a Palestinian state.

Israel’s military may begin operations in Gaza City within days, despite international warnings that a fresh assault could worsen the humanitarian crisis and endanger the estimated 20 hostages still held by Hamas. The city remains densely populated and houses critical infrastructure, including hospitals.

Aid groups say evacuation plans are unworkable, and many residents believe no part of Gaza offers safety.

Netanyahu maintains the offensive is essential to defeat Hamas and secure the hostages’ release.

 

EU Rejects Land Concessions to Russia as Ukraine Strikes Oil Pipeline

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned Friday that any proposal for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia would amount to falling into a trap set by President Vladimir Putin.

Speaking to the BBC, Kallas said peace talks focused on Ukrainian concessions ignore the fact that Russia, the aggressor, has not made any.

The comments come as US-led efforts to broker peace stall. President Trump recently met with Putin in Alaska and later hosted Ukrainian and European leaders in Washington, but no concrete progress has been made.

Kallas emphasized that Russia “does not want peace” and is escalating attacks, despite Trump’s calls to stop the killing.

Ukraine continues to strike Russian infrastructure, targeting oil refineries and launching a combined HIMARS and drone strike Friday on the Druzhba pipeline’s Unecha station in Bryansk, Russia.

The pipeline, a key supplier to Hungary and Slovakia, has now been attacked three times, prompting Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó to accuse Kyiv of threatening Hungary’s energy security and attempting to pull the country into the war.

Hungary remains one of the last EU states still importing Russian oil, and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has maintained ties with Moscow, including a recent visit to meet with Putin.

Most EU members have cut off Russian energy imports and continue to support Ukraine militarily and financially.

 

North Korea Operates Secret ICBM Base Near China Border, Report Finds

North Korea has covertly built and operated a long-range missile base in Sinpung, just 17 miles from the Chinese border, according to a new report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

The base likely hosts a brigade-sized unit with six to nine nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and mobile launchers.

Satellite imagery suggests the base is fully operational and continues to expand. During conflict, launchers are expected to leave the base, pair with warhead units, and deploy from dispersed sites.

The base’s proximity to China offers it strategic protection, complicating US strike options.

The discovery signals Kim Jong Un’s accelerating nuclear ambitions, with the regime shifting toward rapid-launch capabilities and survivable infrastructure. It follows Kim’s call for a “rapid expansion” of the nuclear program and comes as US-South Korea joint military drills intensify regional tensions.

North Korea has rejected renewed talks with the US and strengthened its alignment with Russia.

 

South Korea’s President Lee Faces Crucial Trump Summit Amid Regional Shifts

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will meet Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo on Saturday, August 23, before holding a high-stakes summit with President Donald Trump in Washington on August 25.

The meetings reflect Seoul’s urgent effort to navigate Trump’s unilateral trade and security policies and protect its alliance with the US.

Lee and Ishiba are expected to discuss economic cooperation, stalled free trade talks, and South Korea’s potential entry into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade pact. Their meeting highlights growing trilateral coordination with Washington as Trump pressures allies for more defense spending and greater contributions to hosting US forces.

Trump’s transactional foreign policy has sparked concerns in Seoul and Tokyo about reduced US military support, particularly amid rising threats from North Korea and increased cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow. Both allies are also facing US tariff threats and navigating a delicate economic balance with China.

Lee’s Washington summit will likely focus on trade issues, South Korea’s $350 million investment fund in US industries, and the future role of US Forces Korea.

Trump may push for more South Korean contributions and expanded mission flexibility, possibly shifting US strategic focus to China and asking for Seoul’s indirect support in a Taiwan conflict.

Experts say South Korea must clearly define its regional security stance while securing firm US commitments to counter the North Korean threat.

The summit could reshape the decades-old alliance as Trump redefines American global priorities.

 

Australia, Philippines Expand Defense Ties Amid Rising South China Sea Tensions

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles met Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in Manila on Friday to deepen defense cooperation amid growing Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.

The meeting coincides with “Exercise Alon,” (Tagalog for ‘wave’) the largest Australia-Philippines combat drills to date, involving over 3,600 troops and major assets, including guided-missile destroyers, F/A-18s, and Javelin anti-tank weapons.

Marles and Teodoro signed a joint statement pledging to enhance military readiness and deterrence. Their forces are set to conduct a joint amphibious assault near the contested waters over the weekend.

The drills come as China deploys more armed coast guard and militia ships to Second Thomas Shoal, where a grounded Philippine warship marks a territorial outpost.

The Philippine military reported Chinese vessels maneuvering aggressively, some with mounted weapons and drones, and blocking access with nets. A Chinese ship used a water cannon in what appeared to be a drill.

 

Sources: News Agencies