Overview

• President Trump posted video and said U.S. forces struck a vessel in international waters within U.S. Southern Command’s area, killing three alleged “narcoterrorists.”
• He asserted the boat was tied to a designated terrorist group and ferrying illicit drugs, and he said no U.S. personnel were hurt.
• The operation is at least the third such strike this month, with reporting placing the death toll at 17 across recent actions, while the latest timing and exact location remain unclear.
• The administration has surged naval power near Venezuela, including seven warships and thousands of personnel, intensifying regional tensions.
• Venezuela condemned the attacks and mobilized aircraft and ships, as Sens. Adam Schiff and Tim Kaine filed a War Powers resolution and legal experts questioned the campaign’s authority.