Overview

• New reporting says Miller has led targeting and approvals through an empowered Homeland Security Council, at times eclipsing Marco Rubio’s role as secretary of state and national security adviser.
• Sources describe Miller’s deputy Tony Salisbury tightly controlling targeting details until shortly before operations, including the Sept. 15 strike.
• The White House says the strikes were directed by President Trump, while officials cite Article II powers and the designation of Tren de Aragua as the legal foundation.
• A Fifth Circuit panel on Sept. 2 ruled Alien Enemies Act deportations unlawful for failure to show Tren de Aragua is an arm of Maduro, highlighting disputes over the administration’s rationale.
• Legal signoff remains unclear despite reports of approvals by Pentagon general counsel Earl Matthews, the Justice Department, and the White House counsel’s office, as the U.S. sustains a sizable naval and Marine deployment in the southern Caribbean and reports of two lethal strikes this month persist.