Overview
- The Department of War said a U.S. aircraft hit a small vessel in international waters of the eastern Pacific near Colombia, killing two people and injuring no U.S. personnel.
- Officials said intelligence identified the boat as operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization and traveling a known narcotics route, and they released a short strike video on social media.
- The attack is the 16th publicly acknowledged strike since Sept. 2, bringing the official death toll to at least 66, according to statements cited by multiple outlets.
- The USS Gerald R. Ford and accompanying ships are redeploying toward the Caribbean, signaling a broader U.S. military posture in the region.
- Regional governments and human-rights groups denounce the operations as unlawful and extrajudicial, while lawmakers seek details on targets and legal authority as the White House frames the effort as an armed conflict.