Overview
- The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel produced a classified memo, reported at nearly 50 pages, concluding personnel who follow the boat‑strike orders would not face prosecution, and a DOJ spokesperson said the orders are lawful under the laws of armed conflict.
- Since early September, U.S. forces have conducted roughly 19–20 strikes on suspected drug‑smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, with about 75–76 people reported killed.
- France said the operations violate international law, Colombia announced a halt to intelligence sharing, and U.K. restrictions were reported by media.
- The administration has told Congress it regards the campaign as a non‑international armed conflict with narcoterrorists, marking a departure from traditional Coast Guard interdictions.
- The U.S. has expanded its presence with the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group and other assets, raising troop levels in the region to nearly 15,000.