Overview
- Defense chief Pete Hegseth said three airstrikes hit four boats in the eastern Pacific in international waters, killing 14 people and leaving one survivor as Mexican authorities handled rescue efforts.
- U.S. figures report at least 57 fatalities across 13 strikes on suspected smuggling boats since early September, with newly released video showing vessels erupting after the latest attacks.
- The U.S. has surged forces to the Caribbean, including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group, additional warships, F‑35 jets and a submarine, while the destroyer USS Gravely conducts activities with Trinidad and Tobago.
- Venezuela denounced the deployments as a provocation, accused the CIA of plotting a false‑flag operation and announced moves targeting ties with Trinidad and Tobago, as Senator Lindsey Graham said Congress will be briefed on a possible expansion from sea to land operations.
- UN human-rights officials and legal analysts questioned the lawfulness of the lethal maritime strikes, and Colombia criticized a separate operation it says killed an innocent fisherman, underscoring the diplomatic risks of the campaign.