Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a U.S. strike in international waters of the eastern Pacific destroyed a small vessel and killed four men, releasing a video of the explosion and reporting no American casualties.
- The operation brings the publicly acknowledged tally to about 14 strikes since early September in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, with at least 61 deaths after multiple attacks earlier this week that killed 14 and left one survivor.
- The administration asserts the boats were run by designated terrorist groups engaged in narcotics smuggling and frames the effort as an armed conflict with cartels, though it has not provided public proof or the identities of those killed.
- Congressional scrutiny intensified as selective classified briefings proceeded; House Armed Services members said military lawyers were pulled from one session and officials indicated positive identification of individuals is not required before strikes.
- Regional and international pushback continued, with Mexico condemning recent attacks, UN officials warning of possible international law violations, and the U.S. expanding its force posture with the USS Gerald R. Ford, additional warships and F-35s.