Overview

• The Pentagon said two Venezuelan military aircraft flew near a U.S. Navy destroyer in international waters, calling the maneuver a highly provocative attempt to interfere with operations.
• U.S. forces on Sept. 2 destroyed a suspected drug‑running speedboat that officials said carried Tren de Aragua members, killing 11, but released only a grainy video and few operational details.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio cast the strike as the opening of a broader campaign and warned that traffickers identified as designated narco‑terrorists will face similar actions.
• Congress and human‑rights groups are pressing for the legal basis and evidence, with experts questioning whether maritime, international law or the 2001 AUMF supports targeting alleged smugglers.
• U.S. destroyers and Marines have been deployed to the southern Caribbean, and Rubio said two Ecuadorian gangs will be designated foreign terrorist organizations as Washington expands its approach.