Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said it was "absurd" that U.S. government ships are charged to use the Panama Canal after Panama denied a claim that it had agreed to allow them free traversal.

President José Raúl Mulino on Thursday denied a claim by the Trump administration that this Central American country had agreed to eliminate tolls for U.S. government ships using the Panama Canal, in an apparent setback to U.

The Trump administration has seized the second of two planes belonging to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government that is currently in the Dominican Republic.

Venezuela has accused the US of "brazen theft" after seizing one of its government aircraft in the Dominican Republic. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio oversaw the seizure of the plane on Thursday - the second Venezuelan plane the US has confiscated in the Caribbean country in less than a year.

Venezuela on Friday slammed the US seizure of one of its government planes as "brazen theft" and branded President Donald Trump's top diplomat a "thief" as Washington renewed its hard line on Nicolas Maduro's regime.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not attend an upcoming G20 meeting in South Africa, the top U.S. diplomat said on Wednesday, days after President Donald Trump threatened to cut off funding to the African country.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday evening he was boycotting the G20 meeting in South Africa scheduled for later this month over the country's controversial land expropriation law.