Morning Brief: Pentagon Says Venezuelan Jets Flew Near US Navy Ship, Putin Warns Western Troops in Ukraine Would Be Targeted

· Guy D. McCardle

USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) at sea. (DVIDS)

Good Friday morning, September 5, 2025. Here’s your quick briefing on the day’s top headlines: Venezuelan jets made a “provocative” pass near a US Navy ship; Trump moves to rename the Pentagon the “Department of War” and ramps up immigration enforcement in Chicago; Europe faces pressure to cut Russian oil, while visa restrictions target multiple UN delegations; US Space Command prepares to open in Huntsville; and international tensions rise from Ukraine to Ghana.

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Pentagon Says Venezuelan Jets Flew Near US Navy Ship in ‘Provocative’ Move

The Pentagon reported Friday that two Venezuelan military aircraft flew near a US Navy destroyer in international waters, calling it a “highly provocative move” aimed at disrupting counter-narcotics operations.

According to a CBS News report, the aircraft were armed F-16 fighter jets that flew over the USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109), part of a US flotilla deployed off Venezuela’s coast.

The incident occurred two days after President Donald Trump announced US forces killed 11 suspected members of the Tren de Aragua criminal group in a military strike in the Caribbean Sea.

The flotilla has been tasked with drug interdiction and is also seen as part of US pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Pentagon officials did not provide further details.

 

Trump to Sign Order Allowing Pentagon to Use ‘Department of War’ Title

President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Friday permitting the Department of Defense to use the name “Department of War” as a secondary title, reviving its original designation from 1789.

A formal change would require congressional approval, which the administration plans to request.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has championed the rebranding, calling it a return to America’s history of military victories. Trump has argued the current name reflects weakness.

The move is part of broader cultural changes under Hegseth, who has eliminated diversity programs, removed books and websites deemed divisive, and enforced Trump’s order banning transgender troops. Critics say the changes undermine inclusivity, while supporters frame them as strengthening military focus.

 

Trump Administration Plans 45-Day Immigration Enforcement Surge in Chicago Area

The Trump administration has informed local officials that a six-week immigration enforcement surge will run seven days a week in the Chicago area, using a Broadview processing center as its main hub.

Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson told residents the two-story facility would serve as the primary intake site for immigrants detained before deportation. Local leaders said the operation will last about 45 days but did not specify when it will begin. Officials pledged to protect peaceful protests while warning against unlawful activity.

The move follows President Donald Trump’s push for expanded federal intervention in Democrat-led cities, including past deployments of National Guard troops.

Illinois leaders, activists, and community groups have voiced opposition and are preparing legal challenges, while sanctuary laws limit local police cooperation with federal agents.

The Broadview center has faced criticism over poor conditions, with recent complaints of prolonged detentions and overcrowding. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have not commented on the planned operation.

 

US Weighs New Visa and Travel Limits on Multiple UN Delegations

The Trump administration has denied visas for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation to attend this month’s UN General Assembly and is considering further restrictions on delegations from Iran, Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Brazil, according to an internal State Department memo.

Proposals include tighter movement limits for diplomats and a possible ban on Iranian diplomats shopping at wholesale stores like Costco and Sam’s Club without State Department approval.

Brazil’s potential restrictions remain unclear but could affect its delegation’s traditional opening role at the General Assembly. Meanwhile, Syria’s delegation received a waiver easing travel restrictions that had been in place for over a decade.

The State Department declined to comment, and Iranian and Brazilian officials have not yet responded.

 

Redstone Arsenal Says US Space Command Could Be Fully Operational Before Trump Leaves Office

Redstone Arsenal officials recently said the US Space Command headquarters can become operational in Huntsville before President Donald Trump leaves office.

Deputy garrison commander Martin Traylor outlined a phased plan, with small advance teams arriving immediately and a temporary site ready in 18-24 months. A permanent facility would take five to seven years to complete.

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle stressed that the decision should not be reversed, citing national security and existing synergies with agencies like NASA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Missile Defense Agency.

The relocation is expected to bring about 1,400 direct jobs over five years, with local leaders preparing workforce recruitment efforts similar to past military command moves.

Huntsville officials said the city and Redstone are ready to support the headquarters with infrastructure, housing, schools, and workforce development.

 

State Department Employee Sentenced to Four Years for Sharing Secrets With Suspected Chinese Agents

Michael Schena, a 42-year-old State Department employee from Alexandria, Virginia, was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison for conspiring to share US national defense information with people he believed were working for China, the Justice Department said.

Schena, who held a top secret clearance, began communicating with contacts online in 2022 and provided sensitive government information in exchange for money.

Prosecutors said he accepted $10,000 and a cellphone in Peru in August 2024 to continue transmitting classified material. He later used the phone to photograph secret documents at work, sending some in October 2024 and attempting to send more in February 2025 before FBI agents intervened and arrested him.

 

Trump Presses Europe to Cut Russian Oil Purchases and Pressure China in Ukraine Talks

In a conference call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders after the “coalition of the willing” met in Paris, President Donald Trump said European nations must stop buying Russian oil, arguing that the purchases fund Moscow’s war in Ukraine. He added that Europe should also pressure China to halt such imports, according to a White House official.

A White House official said Russia earned €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) from EU fuel sales in one year, despite a sharp reduction since the war began.

Trump’s remarks came as Zelenskyy urged more pressure on Moscow, while French President Emmanuel Macron warned of additional sanctions if Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to reject peace talks.

Analysts noted Europe still indirectly receives Russian oil, though exemptions mainly benefit Hungary and Slovakia.

The meeting followed a Paris summit where Zelenskyy and Western leaders discussed security guarantees for Ukraine, including military presence and US involvement.

Trump, despite threatening economic measures, has not acted decisively against Russia or China and has struggled to broker direct talks between Zelenskyy and Putin.

 

House Bill Calls for Pentagon Study to Curb US Troop Crimes in Okinawa

The House Armed Services Committee advanced a draft $848 billion defense policy bill requiring the Pentagon to study ways to prevent crimes by US troops stationed in Okinawa.

The measure directs the Defense Department to review current programs, develop new recommendations through a federally funded research center, and report findings within 30 days of the study’s conclusion. Each military branch would then have 180 days to create implementation plans.

The bill responds to sexual assault cases involving US service members since 2023 and local complaints about delayed notifications.

It also mandates updates on the Okinawa Community Partnership Forum, launched this year to improve relations through joint patrols.

The Senate version of the defense bill does not include Okinawa provisions and totals $32 billion more, leaving differences for lawmakers to reconcile. The House report also raised concerns about PFAS (or forever chemicals) contamination near US bases and health care access for troops and families in Japan.

 

South Africa Asks China to Delay Naval Drills With Russia Ahead of G20 Summit

South Africa’s Department of Defense recently said it has asked China to postpone joint naval exercises with China and Russia scheduled for late November, citing concerns the drills could interfere with logistical and security arrangements for the G20 summit in Johannesburg on November 22-23.

China was set to lead this year’s exercises under a BRICS agreement. It is unclear if Beijing will agree to the request.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the summit, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to appear due to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.

US President Donald Trump has been invited but has suggested he may not attend, criticizing South Africa’s government as “anti-white” and “anti-American,” claims South African officials have rejected.

The planned drills follow earlier naval exercises with China and Russia in 2023 that strained South Africa’s ties with Western nations.

 

Land Dispute in Northern Ghana Leaves 31 Dead, Nearly 50,000 Displaced

At least 31 people have been killed and nearly 50,000 displaced in communal clashes in Ghana’s Savannah Region, officials said late Thursday.

The violence began on August 24 in Gbiniyiri after a local chief sold land to a developer without community approval, sparking resistance, arson, and fighting across a dozen villages. More than 13,000 people fled across the border into Ivory Coast, which is already hosting thousands of refugees from Burkina Faso.

Ghana’s National Disaster Management Organisation said most displaced are women and children, with many living in cramped shelters or camps where food is scarce.

Authorities deployed over 700 security personnel, imposed a curfew, and reported that calm has largely returned in recent days.

Leaders are forming an investigative committee with chiefs and the National Peace Council to address the causes and prevent further violence, though concerns remain about food shortages after farms and livestock were abandoned.

 

Putin Warns Western Troops in Ukraine Would Be Targeted

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that any Western troops deployed to Ukraine would be treated as legitimate targets for Moscow’s forces. His warning followed a pledge by France, the UK, and over 20 other countries to form a “reassurance” force to secure any future peace deal.

The allies have not disclosed troop numbers or contributions, but Kyiv insists Western-backed security guarantees are essential to prevent a renewed Russian offensive.

Speaking in Vladivostok, Putin argued such a deployment undermines peace efforts, though he claimed Russia would honor agreements if a settlement is reached.

Ukraine and its allies remain skeptical, citing Russia’s repeated violations of past accords.

 

Ukraine Moves to Ban Orthodox Church Branch Over Moscow Ties

The Ukrainian government has declared that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) failed to fully sever ties with Moscow and has petitioned a court to ban its activities.

The move targets the church’s governing center, the Kyiv Metropolis, led by Metropolitan Onufry, whose citizenship Ukraine revoked.

Authorities say the UOC did not revise its statutes or provide documentation proving independence, despite declarations made in 2022 and 2025. If upheld in court, the ban could strip the UOC and its affiliated monasteries and dioceses of rights to use state-owned church properties.

The UOC denies ongoing ties to Moscow and accuses the government of political motives, while officials argue the issue concerns affiliation with an aggressor state rather than religion.

The case underscores Orthodoxy’s role in Ukraine’s conflict with Russia, with most Ukrainians now aligning with the rival Orthodox Church of Ukraine, recognized as independent in 2019.

 

Australia and Japan Pledge Stronger Security and Economic Cooperation Amid Regional Tensions

Australia and Japan announced Friday they will deepen security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, including plans to assist each other in evacuating citizens overseas and strengthening deterrence capabilities.

The agreement followed talks in Tokyo between Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, and their Australian counterparts, Penny Wong and Richard Marles.

Both US allies, Japan and Australia have been tightening ties as China’s influence grows, building on joint training and a 2023 reciprocal access agreement that allows troop deployments on each other’s territory.

The two nations are also part of the Quad with the US and India.

Recent cooperation includes Japan’s A$10 billion ($6.5 billion) warship deal for Australia, its largest defense export since lifting a ban in 2014.

Tokyo is seeking further defense industry partnerships, while Canberra aims to expand economic cooperation into critical minerals alongside its existing energy trade.

 

Sources: News Agencies

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*Editor’s Note: Paragraph under the 7th Morning Brief headline has been revised to clarify that President Trump made his remarks during a conference call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders following the Paris “coalition of the willing” session, according to a White House official.