Overview

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a U.S. strike in international waters off Venezuela killed four people and released video of the burning speedboat.
• The administration’s confidential notice to Congress says cartel members are “unlawful combatants,” but it did not list all designated groups, frustrating some lawmakers.
• Friday’s operation is the fourth such attack in recent weeks, bringing reported deaths to at least 21, with no public proof offered that the targeted boats carried drugs.
• The U.S. has surged forces to the Caribbean, including F‑35s in Puerto Rico, multiple warships and a submarine, enabling repeated maritime strikes.
• Venezuela reported U.S. fighter activity near its coast and condemned the actions, while legal experts and members of Congress question the president’s authority and seek oversight.