Overview

• President Donald Trump said U.S. forces conducted another “kinetic lethal” strike in international waters that killed three alleged “narcoterrorists,” releasing video of the attack and reporting no American casualties.
• The White House asserts the targeted boats were affiliated with a designated terrorist organization and engaged in narcotrafficking, though it has provided limited public evidence so far.
• This marks at least the third such operation in September, with press tallies putting total deaths roughly between 14 and 17, alongside a broader U.S. deployment that includes warships, a nuclear-powered submarine and F‑35s staged to Puerto Rico.
• In response, Caracas is holding three-day “Caribe Soberano 200” exercises at La Orchila, activating Plan Independencia 200 and mobilizing militias, while senior officials denounce executions at sea.
• Venezuela has urged the UN to demand an immediate halt to U.S. operations, and human-rights groups and some U.S. lawmakers question the legality of the strikes, as reporting highlights a circulated draft bill that could expand presidential authority to use lethal force against alleged narcoterrorists.