⁍ The United States and Guyana will begin joint maritime patrols aimed at drug interdiction near the South American country’s disputed border with crisis-stricken Venezuela.

---

⁍ The agreement comes as U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil Corp ramps up crude output from Guyana’s massive offshore Stabroek block.

---

⁍ U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is using his four-nation South America tour to ramp up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

---

– US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is on a tour of South America aimed at increasing pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. On Friday, he met with new Guyanese President Irfaan Ali and announced that the two countries will begin joint maritime patrols aimed at drug interdiction near the South American country’s disputed border with crisis-stricken Venezuela, Reuters reports. “Greater security, greater capacity to understand your border space, what’s happening inside your Exclusive Economic Zone—those are all things that give Guyana sovereignty,” Pompeo told reporters. Guyana’s new president said he welcomed any help that would “enhance our security, that would enhance our ability to protect our borders.” The agreement comes as US oil major Exxon Mobil, as part of a consortium with Hess Corp and China’s CNOOC Ltd, ramps up crude output from Guyana’s massive offshore Stabroek block, a large portion of which is in waters claimed by Venezuela. The latest salvo in a century-long border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela that is currently being evaluated at the International Court of Justice came in late 2018, when Venezuela’s navy intercepted a vessel conducting a seismic survey on Exxon’s behalf.