Overview
- Pentagon officials confirmed a Nov. 10 strike in the Caribbean that killed four, marking the 20th attack since September and bringing reported deaths to roughly 80.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth formalized the campaign as Operation Southern Spear under Southern Command with a joint task force focused on suspected narcotics vessels.
- The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group and other assets, including F-35s and a nuclear submarine, have moved into the region, with roughly 12,000 U.S. sailors and Marines now deployed.
- Senior officials briefed Trump on options that include potential operations inside Venezuela, and he said he has “sort of made up my mind,” though no authorization for strikes there has been announced.
- A classified DOJ opinion portraying an “armed conflict” with cartels provides legal cover that critics dispute, as the U.K. curtails intelligence sharing and a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows most Americans oppose the boat strikes.