Overview

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Oct. 17 strike, ordered by President Trump in the USSOUTHCOM region, killed three people aboard the targeted vessel.
• Hegseth asserted the boat was ELN‑affiliated, carried substantial narcotics, and was in international waters, and he released unclassified video of the attack.
• The operation is the seventh known strike since September, with the cumulative reported death toll now in the low 30s, according to multiple reports.
• Colombian President Gustavo Petro disputed the U.S. account, calling the boat a family fishing vessel and accusing Washington of murder, as Trump declared U.S. payments to Colombia would cease.
• Lawmakers from both parties question the legal basis and evidence for the campaign, and new resolutions seek to limit presidential authority for further military action in the region.