Overview

• President Donald Trump said a U.S. military operation killed three men on a vessel in international waters within U.S. Southern Command’s area, sharing aerial footage and reporting no American casualties.
• The latest attack is the third this month following strikes Trump announced on September 2, which the administration said killed 11, and on September 15, which killed three.
• The White House has cited terrorist designations of cartels and transnational gangs to justify lethal force, while the Pentagon has deferred detailed questions and has not provided corroborating specifics.
• Human Rights Watch labeled the actions unlawful extrajudicial killings and urged investigations, and senators including Jack Reed questioned the legal basis and executive authority for the strikes.
• Regional tensions have escalated as Venezuela announced Caribe Soberano 200 exercises, planning to deploy about 22 aircraft and some 30 vessels near La Orchila Island in response to the U.S. buildup of F-35s, warships and a submarine.