Overview
- A senior defense official told lawmakers the U.S. has conducted 45 strikes since September, destroying 47 suspected trafficking vessels and killing 157 people.
- Officials reported roughly a 20% drop in suspected boat movements in the Caribbean and 25% in the Eastern Pacific since the campaign began.
- Democrats questioned legality and objectives, while legal experts described the killings as extrajudicial and urged oversight.
- Humire said the effort could expand to land targets and declined to rule out future unilateral strikes in the region.
- Pentagon releases of strike videos have not included details identifying those killed or evidence of drugs on the boats, even as more than 15,000 U.S. troops cycled through related missions.