Senate Republicans have started the process of going nuclear on Senate Democrats in their quest to confirm President Donald Trumps nominees.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on Monday laid the framework for the GOP to use the "nuclear option," a move that allows for a rule change in the Senate with a simple majority vote in order to install a new rule that allows for nominees to be voted on in groups.Republicans are moving forward with a plan originally devised by Democrats during the Biden administration, due to frustrations at the time with the sluggish pace that nominees were moving through the upper chamber.TRUMP NOMINEES PILE UP AS GOP WEIGHS RULE SHIFT ONCE FLOATED BY DEMOCRATSHowever, that pace has turned into an outright crawl during Trumps second term. No nominee at any level has received a voice vote or moved through unanimous consent two methods meant to fast-track the confirmation process for sub-cabinet level positions in the bureaucracy.Thune quoted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who in 2022 railed against Republicans during a Senate floor speech for slowing some of former President Joe Biden's nominees, and said, "Regardless of the party in the White House, both sides have long agreed that a President deserves to have his or her administration in place, quickly."Thune charged that the Democrats' blockade was "Trump derangement syndrome on steroids" and argued that if the nominees were as historically bad as they claimed, they would not have voted some of them out of committee on a bipartisan basis."We've got a crisis, and it's time to take steps to restore Senate precedent and codify in Senate rules what was once understood to be standard practice," he said."This afternoon I will be taking the necessary procedural steps to amend the rules," Thune continued. "It is an idea with a Democrat pedigree."The plan, which takes its cue from a bill pushed by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Angus King, I-Maine, and former Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., would allow for nominees to be voted on in groups, or "en bloc."TOP SENATE REPUBLICAN READY TO 'ROLL OVER' DEMOCRATS WITH RULE CHANGE TO CONFIRM TRUMP NOMINEESThe original bill put a cap of 10 nominees per en bloc group and included both district judge and U.S. attorney picks. Republicans are likely to go beyond the cap but may not include judicial nominees.Instead, the focus is on sub-cabinet level nominees that make their way through their respective committees with bipartisan support."What I'm just saying is we're returning to the way the Senate used to work," Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., told Fox News Digital. "When the vast majority of nominees, after being scrutinized in committee, had their hearings voted out and sent to the floor. Then you know, Bush, Clinton 99% of them by unanimous consent or by voice vote, and President Trump has had zero."Thunes move comes after he and Schumer were unable to reach a deal on moving nominees last month before lawmakers left Washington for recess.Both parties have turned to the nuclear option a handful of times since 2010. In 2013, then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., used the nuclear option to allow for all executive branch nominees to be confirmed by simple majority.SENATE GOP READY TO GO NUCLEAR AFTER SCHUMER'S 'POLITICAL EXTORTION' OF NOMINEESFour years later, then Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., went nuclear to allow for Supreme Court nominees to be confirmed by a simple majority. And in 2019, McConnell reduced the debate time to two hours for civilian nominees.Republicans voiced hope that using a proposal from Democrats would sway some to support the change and argued that the move is meant to further streamline the process and prevent future blockades by either party."I really look at this like they're forcing us to do something," Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital. "There's nothing nuclear about it, in my humble opinion. And again, this is their bill, and we'll see. It's great to watch them squirm as they try to figure out what to do with this."

Illinois Democrats are drawing a red line against President Donald Trump's law-and-order push, rejecting his proposals to deploy the National Guard to Chicago despite the Windy City's police department facing a staffing shortage that has persisted since the pandemic-era anti-cop rhetoric of 2020."We're waiting for a call from Chicago. We'll fix Chicago. And again, D.C. is right now so safe you can go out," Trump said on Monday morning during faith-focused remarks at the Museum of the Bible, referring to his federalization of Washington, D.C.'s police force that has been viewed as a success at cleaning up crime.Chicago and Illinois leaders, however, have repeatedly bucked the idea of calling on Trump for additional assistance."No federal troops in the city of Chicago, no militarized force in the city of Chicago," left-wing Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said on Labor Day during a protest against Trump's floated intention to send in the National Guard. "We're going to defend our democracy in the city of Chicago. We're going to protect the humanity of every single person in the city of Chicago."TOP CHICAGO OFFICIALS DEMAND CRIME CRACKDOWN AS MAYOR FIGHTS TRUMP OVER LOOMING TAKEOVER: '100% NEED HELP'Chicago has long grappled with violent crime, marked in recent years by waves of shootings across the city especially over holiday weekends along with smash-and-grab robberies and illegal street racing that surged after 2020. The police department, which reached a recent peak in staffing in 2019, saw a drop in sworn officers as anti-police rhetoric from the "defund the police" movement gained traction nationwide, leaving the city with a lasting manpower challenge.Crime overall in Chicago, however, has trended down since 2023, according to city data, including a 21.6% drop in overall crime as of Aug. 25 compared to the same time period last year. The homicide rate for the city in 2024 sat at about 17.4 homicides per 100,000 people, which is also lower than rates in more dangerous cities such as Memphis, Tennessee which saw 40.6 homicides per 100,000 people in 2024.Simultaneous to a bloody crime wave that kicked off in 2020, the Chicago Police Department was rocked by staffing issues beginning that same year. The force made strides building its staffing levels and reached a high of 13,353 sworn members in 2019, before that figure fell as "defund the police" protests and riots spread across the nation in response to the police-involved killing of George Floyd in May in 2020.Five years later, the Chicago Police Department is still short by more than 2,000 officers, city data shows. The City of Chicago's Inspector General, which has kept data on the force's staffing levels since 2017, shows there are 11,602 sworn members as of July 2025. The city budgeted for 13,742 sworn members in Fiscal Year 2025, city Inspector General data additionally shows. CHICAGO RESIDENTS BEG FOR MORE HELP AS CRIME WREAKS 'HAVOC ON NEIGHBORHOODSFox News Digital reached out to the police department for data on police staffing earlier in September but did not receive a response.News articles between 2020 to last year depicted a dim fallout for residents and visitors of the city due to the police shortage.911 calls have gone unanswered, with cops unable to immediately respond to calls for assistance when other high-profile crimes broke out in the city.An analysis of police calls in 2023 found that more than 50% of 911 calls deemed high-priority such as confrontations that posed an imminent threat to a caller or required timely police action did not yield an immediate response due to the staffing shortage, nonprofit Illinois Policy reported in 2023. In 2019, when police staffing was high, 19% of high-priority 911 calls could not be fielded immediately,Calls for crimes such as domestic battery, mental health disturbances, a car accident and active fights went unanswered one evening in October 2024 after a shooting unfolded outside a concert that required heavy police presence, local outlet WGN 9 reported last year.WHITE HOUSE SLAMS PRITZKER, BLUE CITIES AS CRIME FIGHT ESCALATES: 'DECLINE IS A CHOICE'The number of sworn police members dropped by roughly 13% between August 2017 and June 2022, a nonprofit called the Civic Federation found. Active officers were required to work additional overtime hours to bridge the gap, local outlet WTTW reported in 2022, which led to a $210.5 million price tag for overtime costs that year which was a more than 50% increase from overtime costs in 2021.Johnson's office and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment on Friday asking about the Chicago Police Department's staffing levels, why they have rejected asking the federal government for additional law and order assistance considering the force has not returned to pre-pandemic staffing levels, or if they believe current staffing levels are sufficient.Johnson has vehemently hit back against Trump's calls to crackdown on crime in Chicago, including saying in August that the current incarceration rate of criminals in the nation is "racist.""We cannot incarcerate our way out of violence; weve already tried that, and weve ended up with the largest prison population in the world without solving the problems of crime and violence," Johnson said during a press conference last month."The addiction on jails and incarceration in this country, weve moved past that. It is racist, it is immoral, it is unholy, and it is not the way to drive violence down."Pritzker has characterized Trump's proposals as unnecessary and a form of Trump allegedly pushing "authoritarianism" on the populous."I have invested significantly in police, but we've also made massive investments in community violence intervention. Those programs are working. We're doing more than any other state in that regard, and it's working on the streets of Chicago," Pritzker said earlier this month, outlining how local efforts are addressing crime.Massive protests broke out in Chicago over the weekend in opposition to a potential crime crackdown, including protesters taking issue with the administration's deportation efforts of illegal immigrants in the city.ILLINOIS DEMOCRAT LEADERS BLAST TRUMP PUSH TO SEND NATIONAL GUARD TO CHICAGOTrump has, meanwhile, said he has an "obligation" to protect the American people, and pointed to Chicago's notoriously bloody weekends as proof the city is in need of assistance."Do you know how many people were killed in Chicago last weekend? Eight. You know how many people were killed in Chicago the week before? Seven. You know how many people wounded? Seventy-four people were wounded. You think there's worse than that? I don't think so," Trump told reporters at the White House on Sunday when asked about Chicago, following the president sharing a meme captioned, "Chicago about to find out why its called the Department of WAR."Trump federalized the Washington, D.C., police department in August as part of his campaign pledges to lower crime trends and promote law and order policies, and has turned his attention to similar efforts in other cities that have suffered crime woes. Trump has touted the federalization of D.C., which has led to more than 2,000 arrests, as a success and example for other cities to call on the federal government for assistance.

French President Emmanuel Macron is facing down another political crisis and will be forced to choose a new prime minister for the fourth time in less than 12 months following a vote of no-confidence on Monday.Prime Minister Franois Bayrou is expected to resign after a sweeping majority voted to boot him from the minority government in a364194 vote over his controversial cuts to public spending in an attempt to reduce Frances national debt.Macron appointed Bayrou in December following a slew of resignations over the year when three other prime ministers left the top job.MACRON STRUTS ON WORLD STAGE AS REVOLT OVER FRANCES SOARING DEBT PUTS HIS PM ON THE BRINKThe French president is expected to appoint another prime minister the fifth in less than two years.France is Europes second-largest economy, but according to Bayrou, it is facing an economic crisis.But the centrist leader found himself facing growing opposition after he unveiled plans to reduce the fiscal deficit to 4.6% of GDP next year to secure a savings of $51 billion through a series of spending cuts, tax hikes and the dissolving of two public holidays.Multiple reports on Monday noted that by the end of the first quarter of 2025, Frances public debt equated to 114% of its GDP.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPBut the vote of no confidence could signal increased gridlock within Frances government at a time when Macron is not only taking on a leading role when it comes to opposing Russian President Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine and the existential threats that poses for European allies, but increasing global instability and tense ties with the U.S. which is also one of its chief trading partners.Its unclear if Bayrou will resign Monday night or when Macron publicly addresses the vote.

A family at the center of a firestorm over a home run ball at a Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins game last week spoke out about the incident on Fox News Channel on Monday.Drew Feltwell, his son Lincoln, and daughter Avery appeared on "America Reports" to talk about the incident.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMThe viral moment showed Drew Feltwell run toward a home run hit by Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader. He beat out about four people for the souvenir. He then gave it to his son and shared in the special moment. But before the moment could sink in, an irate female Phillies fan marched over to Feltwell and his family and demanded that they give her the ball instead."I cant even repeat that on air. She was very vulgar," he recalled. "Screaming right in my ear that, you know, lotta bad words and, Thats my ball. That was her section and trying to tell me she had the right to that ball. The screaming and yelling kinda got to us and I just wanted her to go away. So, thats how she got the ball."Feltwell said he was trying to de-escalate the situation when he gave the ball to the woman. She celebrated the win soon after.METS' JONAH TONG REVEALS 'UNBELIEVABLE' WAY TO UPGRADE GRILLED CHEESEHe said he had no regrets about how he handled the situation."No, I think the world could use a little extra de-escalation," Feltwell explained. "Everything is so tense. The world is pretty crazy and I dont want to do anything like that in front of my son or on camera. It was tough giving the ball back but it ended that situation."Internet sleuths have tried to figure out who the woman in the Phillies jersey was. Several have pinpointed the wrong people.Feltwell said he hoped that nothing bad would happen to her but would want her to give the ball back."Well, Id love to get the ball to give back to my son," he said. "But I dont want anything bad to happen to her. Definitely not happy with her. Our evening worked out quite well afterward. So, cant complain."Lincoln was able to get a package of souvenirs from the Phillies organization as the team tried to make it right. Bader gave the boy an autographed bat as well."I hope that ball meant a lot to her," Lincoln said.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

A Buffalo Bills fan who was seen smacking the helmets of Baltimore Ravens stars DeAndre Hopkins and Lamar Jackson after a touchdown on Sunday was reportedly banned from NFL stadium indefinitely.ESPN first reported the fan, who was immediately ejected from Highmark Stadium after the incident, was banned on Monday, citing a team official. Fox News Digital reached out to the Bills for comment.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMJackson and Hopkins were celebrating with teammates in the end zone following a touchdown pass in the third quarter. The NBC broadcast caught the fan crossing the line.The star quarterback retaliated and shoved the fan."I (saw) him slap (DeAndre Hopkins), but I wasnt really He slapped me he was talking, so I just forgot where I was for a little bit," Jackson explained to reporters after the game. "You have to think in those situations. You have security out there; let security handle it.START STREAMING WITH A 7-DAY FREE TRIAL AT FOXONE.COM OR DOWNLOAD THE FOX ONE APP ON YOUR FAVORITE DEVICE"But I just let my emotions get the best of me. Hopefully, it doesnt happen again. I learned from that."The Ravens seemingly had an insurmountable lead in the fourth quarter, but Buffalo found a way to come back. The Bills scored 22 points in the fourth quarter and won the game, 41-40.Jackson had 209 passing yards and two touchdown passes to go along with 70 yards on six carries and a rushing touchdown.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

While in flight at 30,000 feet, passengers may exhibit certain behaviors that would be deemed inappropriate on land.In the "r/Delta" forum on Reddit, a user titled a post "Crimes against humanity," along with a photo of a man lying back with his bare feet up on the seat in front of him.Redditors took to the comment section to share their reactions, along with their own flying experiences.AIRLINE PASSENGERS COULD BE REMOVED FROM FLIGHTS FOR GOING BAREFOOT: ETIQUETTE EXPERT WEIGHS IN"This strikes me as the same type of person who would clip their nails in public," commented one user.Another person wrote, "This is not your mom's basement, sir." Yet another Redditor said, "Living room syndrome strikes again."Someone else commented, "This is why I travel with Clorox wipes on planes.""Did you say anything?" asked one person. The user who posted the photo responded, "Sure did, he at least put his socks back on."For more Lifestyle articles, visit foxnews.com/lifestyleJacqueline Whitmore, a Florida-based etiquette expert and former flight attendant, said it is best to keep your feet covered in some capacity while on a plane."From an etiquette standpoint, it is rude to walk about barefoot in a public place, as many germs can be transmitted from your feet," Whitmore told Fox News Digital.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER"If you plan to take off your shoes on a longer flight, it's best not to walk around without slippers for your ownhealth and safety,"she said."The floor of the plane is extremely dirty, especially in the lavatory. The water on the floor is most likely not water at all."Whitmore also said that being barefoot can impact those around you."For fellow passengers, seeing someone walk around barefoot can be considered unpleasant or unhygienic, which could negatively impact theirflying experience."To stay comfortable while remaining hygienic, Whitmore suggests putting on a clean pair of socks, using slippers or wearing more comfortable shoes.

"The View" co-host Ana Navarro urged viewers Monday to record Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents but stressed, "do not get violent.""When you see human rights violations, when you see civil rights violations, when you see masked men dragging people through the streets and beating peoples dashboards in and windows in, film it. Amplify the truth, so America can see what is happening in our streets. It also means do not get violent. Do not play into the hands of [President] Donald Trump and his minions. They want a confrontation. Be smart. Be truthful," she said.ABC's "The View" returned Monday for its 29th season after a summer hiatus.Navarro also referenced Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Ill., who said, "Authoritarians thrive on your silence. Be loud for America."'THE VIEW' CO-HOST SUNNY HOSTIN CLAIMS 'RECKONING' COMING FOR MASKED ICE AGENTS CARRYING OUT DEPORTATIONSThe co-host said there were protests in Chicago over the weekend. Thousands marched throughout the city to protest ICE and Trump's plan to send National Guard troops, according to the Associated Press..Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin argued that Democrats need to adopt a stronger stance on crime."I have never supported having troops in American cities. It doesnt make sense, its not the way to police the streets. But Chicago, for example, over Labor Day weekend, eight people were murdered and 25+ people were hit with stray bullets.""That deserves a response," she continued. "It deserves a law enforcement response. It should be in coordination with the federal government, it should be the state and local officials that should lead it, but he has this way of speaking to peoples anxieties and when they feel they are not safe in their communities, regardless of what the macro stats say, he taps into that.""The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg questioned why the government is deploying ICE into cities.TRUMP ESCALATES FIGHT WITH PRITZKER AS BLOODY CHICAGO WEEKEND SPARKS TROOP WARNINGNavarro responded, "Because they want to round up immigrants. They want to conflate crime and immigration.""They want to terrorize vulnerable communities," she added.Navarro has previously criticized Venezuelan and Cuban voters in Florida for supporting Trump.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE"I am furious at the Venezuelans and Cubans in Miami who voted for him and are now on Instagram crying because their wives are getting picked up and deported, because people they know, and their friends have now, now TPS [temporary protective status] for the Venezuelans hasn't been renewed," Navarro said. "And now they're having buyers remorse because they're seeing that it's not just criminals getting rounded up."

A common artificial sweetener could make cancer treatments less effective, a new study has found.Sucralose, a sweetener found in many diet sodas, low-calorie snacks and powdered sugar substitutes, could interfere with immunotherapy in cancer patients, according to research from the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.The study included 132 patients with melanoma (a deadly form of skin cancer) and nonsmall cell lung cancer (the most common type of lung cancer).YOUR DAILY DIET SODA COULD BE AGING YOUR BRAIN FASTER THAN YOU THINK, STUDY FINDSAll patients were taking anti-PD1 (a type of immunotherapy), either alone or in combination with chemotherapy.They all completed dietary questionnaires that indicated the volume of artificial sweeteners they consumed.The researchers found that the patients who consumed high levels of sucralose had a "worse response" to immunotherapy and "poorer survival" than those who consumed low amounts, according to a press release."We found that sucralose impeded the effectiveness of immunotherapies across a range of cancer types, stages and treatment modalities," said senior author Diwakar Davar, associate professor of medicine at Pitt and a medical oncologist and hematologist at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, in the release.SUGAR SUBSTITUTES CAN CAUSE BRAIN CHANGES THAT INCREASE APPETITE, STUDY SAYS"These observations raise the possibility of designing prebiotics, such as targeted nutrient supplementation for patients who consume high levels of sucralose."The findings were published in Cancer Discovery, a journal by the American Association for Cancer Research.On a positive note, the researchers also found that taking supplements to increase levels of the amino acid arginine counteracted those effects and boosted the effectiveness of immunotherapy, as seen in a study of mice."Its easy to say, Stop drinking diet soda, but when patients are being treated for cancer, they are already dealing with enough, so asking them to drastically alter their diet may not be realistic," said lead author Abby Overacre, assistant professor in the Department of Immunology at Pitt and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, in the release."We need to meet patients where they are. Thats why its so exciting that arginine supplementation could be a simple approach to counteract the negative effects of sucralose on immunotherapy."In the mouse study, the sucralose was shown to alter the gut microbiome in a way that reduced levels of arginine. This amino acid is essential for T-cell function, which is a key component of immunotherapy drugs."When arginine levels were depleted due to sucralose-driven shifts in the microbiome, T cells couldnt function properly," said Overacre. "As a result, immunotherapy wasnt as effective in mice that were fed sucralose."Looking ahead, the researchers plan to launch a clinical trial investigating arginine supplementation in human cancer patients. They will also explore the potential impact of other sugar substitutes on immunotherapy effectiveness.The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and Gateway for Cancer Research.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTERThe Calorie Control Council provided the below statement to Fox News Digital."For people undergoing cancer treatment, all guidance should come from their healthcare team," said Carla Saunders, president of the council."This study has several limitations, relying on animal research that cannot be directly applied to humans, and [is] a small observational study in humans using self-reported dietary data, which is often subject to misreporting, underreporting and bias. While continued research is critical, scientific regulatory authorities worldwide, including the FDA, have repeatedly confirmed sucraloses safety for decades."For more Health articles, visitwww.foxnews.com/healthFox News Digital reached out to manufacturers of sucralose-containing products requesting comment.

Ed Sheeran is gearing up for a major move.During a recent appearance on The 2 Johnnies Podcast, the British singer-songwriter whose 17th album, "Play" is set to be released later this week opened up about his plans to move his family from England to the United States in hopes of "settling.""I'm just about to move to America. I feel like I might be the only person moving to America," said Sheeran, who grew up in an English town called Framlingham, but currently resides in Suffolk. "I'm going on tour there for a while and I have a family so I can't dip in and out. We're going and settling there."ED SHEERAN BREAKS DOWN ABOUT WIFE'S CANCER DIAGNOSIS AMID THINKING OUT LOUD JURY TRIALEarlier this year, Sheeran opened up about his future plans to transition into country music."When you transition to country, you cant transition back," Sheeran, who shares two young daughters with wife, Cherry Seaborn, told Alex Cooper during an appearance on "Call Her Daddy." "Nashville is my favorite city in the States, and its always been my end goal to move to Nashville and transition to country."In 2013, Sheeran further expressed his love for Nashville."Nashville is full of very, very nice people," Sheeran told Newsbeat at the Brit Awards, per BBC.LIKE WHAT YOURE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS"I don't think people really care [about celebrities] in Nashville," he said. "Even if they knew who you were, I don't think they'd care. They'd just be like, 'Eh.'"Unlike Sheeran, many celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O'Donnell have fled the States for a life abroad.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTEREllen DeGeneres' move to the English countryside comes after President Donald Trumps return to the White House.DeGeneres has confirmed that Trumps victory in the 2024 presidential election played a role in her decision to move abroad.PRESIDENT TRUMP SLAMS ROSIE O'DONNELL AFTER SHE FLEES US: YOURE BETTER OFF NOT KNOWING HER'Initially, the move was meant to be a part-time getaway. But after election night, things took a more permanent turn."We got here the day before the election and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like, He got in," DeGeneres said during her first U.K. appearance since relocating, per the BBC. "And were like, Were staying here."O'Donnell fled to Ireland after Trump won the 2024 election and had been feuding with the president since she made remarks about him as a co-host of "The View" in 2006.

The U.S. ramped up its fight against Caribbean drug cartels Monday as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine touched down in Puerto Rico to bolster military operations.Puerto Rican Gov. Jenniffer Gonzlez-Coln and First Gentleman Dr. Jos Yovn Vargas welcomed the pair, framing the visit as the Trump administrations show of support for troops training on the island."We thank President Trump and his administration for recognizing Puerto Ricos strategic importance to our national security, and for their commitment to combat drug cartels and the narco-dictator Nicols Maduro," the governor said. "We fully support America First policies that protect our borders and fight illicit activities in defense of the American people."The meeting took place at Muiz Air Base in Carolina, outside San Juan, and drew top brass including Puerto Rico National Guard Adjutant General Carlos Jos Rivera-Romn, Public Safety Secretary Brig. Gen. Arthur Garffer, and other senior military leaders.RUBIO SAYS TRUMP 'WANTS TO WAGE WAR' ON VENEZUELAN DRUG TRAFFICKERS: 'BLOW THEM UP IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES'Hegseth spoke to nearly 300 soldiers at the base, thanking and describing them as "American warriors." The secretary of war also provided affirmation that those serving in the Armed Forces will be the best equipped and prepared in the world.The visit comes as the U.S. military expands its naval footprint near Venezuela, part of President Donald Trumps push to choke off drug flows from Latin America.Naval and air assets have been dispatched to confront traffickers and secure key maritime routes, with some already used this week against alleged narco-terrorists.US BOLSTERS MILITARY PRESENCE IN CARIBBEAN NEAR VENEZUELA AMID TRUMP'S EFFORTS TO HALT DRUG TRAFFICKINGLast Tuesday, Marines hit a vessel in the southern Caribbean Sea that was allegedly ferrying members of the Tren de Aragua gang smuggling narcotics to the U.S.While the U.S. military has long worked to counter cartel and international gang organizations beginning in the late 1980s, the strike killed 11 alleged members of Tren de Aragua which the Trump administration designated as a terrorist organization in February marked a definite shift from previous seize and apprehend operations.President Donald Trump has made it clear since his first administration that he strongly opposes Maduros regime and even announced a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.TRUMP TOUTS US STRIKE AS MADURO SLAMS MILITARY THREAT OFF VENEZUELAHegseth has also sent major firepower to the regionincluding the USS Iwo Jima, USS Lake Erie, USS Jason Dunham, USS Gravely, and USS Sampsonto hunt criminal networks and narco-terrorists.Trumps decision to deploy U.S. troops off of the South American nation prompted Maduro, last Monday, to decry the move as an attempt to seek regime change and said, "Venezuela is confronting the biggest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years."Against that backdrop, Gonzlez-Coln cast Puerto Rico as Americas frontline in the regional crackdown."President Trumps leadership in the fight against narcotrafficking places Puerto Ricoour nations Caribbean borderat the forefront of our security and interests," Gonzlez-Coln added. "For the first time, I believe we are confronting the problem at its root, striking directly at the source of the drug flow."