Overview

• President Trump said U.S. forces carried out a "lethal kinetic" strike in international waters in the Southern Command region, killing three men he called "narcoterrorists," and posted a brief aerial video of the blast.
• The strike is the third announced this month after two earlier attacks the administration linked to Venezuelan groups, with no public evidence released to verify drug cargo or affiliations.
• The Pentagon referred questions to the White House, which has not provided detailed legal justifications, as Human Rights Watch and UN experts labeled the boat attacks unlawful extrajudicial killings.
• Sens. Tim Kaine and Adam Schiff introduced a privileged War Powers resolution to stop further strikes, drawing bipartisan questions about legality and prompting Senate Armed Services Committee oversight.
• Venezuela launched three days of naval and air exercises near La Orchila as the U.S. increased regional forces, including F-35 jets, multiple warships and a submarine.