Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a drone strike in the eastern Pacific killed two people, marking the 16th acknowledged operation since September and bringing the public death toll to roughly 66–67.
- The Pentagon released edited video of the blast and said the vessel was run by a designated terrorist organization, but it has not publicly provided corroborating evidence that the targets were smuggling narcotics.
- After weeks of complaints, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Hegseth briefed select lawmakers, who said officials described boats carrying cocaine and offered a legal rationale that many Democrats still found unconvincing.
- The USS Gerald R. Ford and accompanying warships are moving toward the Caribbean, expanding a regional buildup that already includes multiple Navy vessels, aircraft and thousands of personnel.
- U.N. human-rights chief Volker Türk urged a halt to what he called extrajudicial killings, regional governments objected to civilian casualties, and reports indicated the administration is weighing—but has not approved—options for strikes inside Venezuela and potential moves against its oil assets.