Overview

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a U.S. strike in international waters off Venezuela on Friday destroyed a small boat and killed four people, releasing a video of the attack.
• This was the fourth such operation since early September, bringing reported deaths to at least 21 across strikes that U.S. officials say targeted narcotics‑running vessels.
• A notice sent to Congress this week states the U.S. is in a non‑international armed conflict with designated cartels, labels suspected smugglers unlawful combatants, and cites self‑defense.
• Legal experts and some lawmakers questioned the administration’s authority and evidence for using military force at sea instead of law‑enforcement interdictions, noting scant public details on those killed or drugs recovered.
• Venezuela condemned the actions as tensions rose, reporting nearby U.S. fighter flights, while the U.S. maintains a regional naval and air buildup and defends the strikes as necessary to protect Americans from illicit drugs.