Overview

• Speaking at Naval Station Norfolk, President Donald Trump said U.S. forces hit another vessel on Saturday night and boasted the sea campaign has left “no boats” in the area as he floated a focus on land routes.
• It remains unclear whether the strike Trump referenced was an additional operation beyond Friday’s attack that killed four people, the fourth publicly acknowledged strike in recent weeks.
• At least 21 people have been killed across the strikes, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth released brief footage of one attack while asserting he has “every authorization needed.”
• The administration has notified Congress it deems the fight a “non‑international armed conflict” with cartels and labels members “unlawful combatants,” but it has not publicly provided verifiable proof the targeted boats carried drugs.
• Russia condemned the October 3 strike in international waters and pledged support to Venezuela, as Caracas denounced U.S. actions and the United Nations and legal experts questioned the legality of the killings.