Overview

• U.S. forces have conducted at least five maritime strikes since early September, destroying small boats and leaving 27 people dead, according to official accounts.
• Trump said sea routes are “very well under control” and that the administration is now “looking at land,” while declining to say whether the CIA can target President Nicolás Maduro.
• The administration notified Congress it considers the campaign a “non‑international armed conflict” against designated cartels, prompting bipartisan legal and oversight challenges.
• Lawmakers and U.S. officials say the White House has not provided evidence that the targeted vessels carried narcotics, beyond short strike videos posted online.
• Venezuela denounced the moves, announced military exercises and plans a UN complaint, as the U.S. maintains a $50 million reward tied to Maduro on drug‑trafficking charges.