The U.S government has hit Cuba with new sanctions in a fresh push to strangle the island’s economy and deepen its multiple crises.

After an unconfirmed media report this week that 95-year-old Cuban leader Raúl Castro is on life support in Havana, Miami is abuzz with rumors reminiscent of the decade of bogus news that preceded his brother Fidel's death in 2016. "For younger Cubans and more recently arrived Cuban exiles in Miami, Raúl is their dictator. Raúl is their Fidel," said one observer.

Federal investigators said Valdes was a "Cuban intelligence asset" tasked with infiltrating and reporting on Cuban exile and dissident communities in Latin America and the United States as early as the mid-1990s.

The charges represent a rare moment of the Justice Department seeking to hold immigration officers accountable.

Chaos unfolds at the Miami immigration court after judges are assigned mega master calendars, hearings where judges see more than 100 immigrants at once.

COMMENTARY The rotting effects of Venezuela's long half century of oil corruption made its industry easy prey for Trump — whose real outrage is blocking the re-democratization that could fix that flaw.

Venezuela's main airport has partially resumed operations nearly 10 weeks after two devastating earthquakes. A temporary area with metal structures has been set up at Simón Bolívar International Airport to serve passengers while repairs continue. The airport near Caracas was closed after severe damage from the June 24 earthquakes, which left over 6,500 people dead and thousands homeless.

Oil giant Chevron is confirming that it is expanding its operations in Venezuela, just days after President Donald Trump announced an ambitious deal to develop the nation’s oil reserves and give the Pentagon a stake in the profits.

Cuba has reopened most of its schools despite a shortage of transportation, uniforms and teachers as the island's crises deepen. More than 10,000 schools are expected to open their doors on Tuesday. They will welcome an estimated 1.4 million children and more than 135,000 teachers. The island's education minister acknowledged ongoing challenges and called the reopening of schools a "heroic act."

As part of the deal, the U.S. is creating a private company as a joint venture with North American Blue Energy Partners, owned by Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt.