Overview
- A Pentagon official confirmed a Nov. 10 strike in the Caribbean that killed four, bringing the tally to 20 strikes since September and a total of 80 dead, with two wounded previously repatriated.
- People who have seen the classified DOJ Office of Legal Counsel memo say it relies on the president’s assertions to define cartels as wartime foes and includes arguments intended to shield personnel from future prosecution.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Operation Southern Spear, led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and U.S. Southern Command, as the USS Gerald R. Ford heads to the region with a force that will total nearly a dozen ships and about 12,000 personnel.
- International pushback has grown, with the U.K. curtailing regional intelligence sharing over the strikes as the U.N. human rights chief cited strong evidence of extrajudicial killings and called for an investigation.
- At home, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found 51% of Americans oppose the killings without judicial process, lawmakers are demanding the legal rationale, and Senate Republicans recently blocked a bid to limit potential action against Venezuela.