Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. forces conducted three strikes on four vessels on Monday, posting video of explosions and reporting one survivor recovered as Mexican authorities assumed rescue coordination.
- The operation raises the publicly disclosed death toll to about 57 across 13 strikes since early September, marking the first day multiple Pacific strikes were announced at once.
- Officials have not released identities, evidence of narcotics, or details on munitions used, prompting demands from lawmakers and legal experts for proof and for clarity on why the military, not the Coast Guard, is conducting lethal actions.
- The campaign accompanies a major force buildup, with the USS Gravely docking in Trinidad and the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group moving toward the region alongside thousands of personnel, warships and aircraft.
- Venezuela claims to have captured alleged CIA operatives without providing evidence, Trump has authorized covert CIA activity in the country, and Mexico’s president said her government does not agree with the attacks while seeking talks with the U.S. ambassador.