BBC Caribbean News in Brief

President Chavez has ramped up his anti-America rhetoric


‘Venezuela’s no threat’

The US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said he does not see a military threat from Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has increased arms purchases from Russia and resumed his fiery anti-America rhetoric.

Mr Gates suggests that Mr Chavez is trying in part to distract Venezuelans from domestic woes.

The Pentagon chief is expected in Barbados tomorrow for a Caribbean security conference.
Caribbean immigrants held
US federal agents this week swooped down after a boatload of migrants came ashore in Miami Beach this week after a trip from the Bahamas.

A spokesperson from US Immigration and Customs said 15 of the migrants were rounded up.

She said most of them are “men and women from Haiti and Jamaica, and four of them are from Sri Lanka.“

A security guard said helicopters filled the air and police and federal agents flooded the area during the operation on Monday night.

“It was a big exciting moment, like a Hollywood moment,” he said.