Overview
- U.S. Southern Command said the Dec. 15 strikes were ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear against vessels it says were run by designated terrorist groups in international waters.
- Officials reported three deaths on the first boat, two on the second and three on the third, and released a short video of a vessel exploding.
- Since September, the operation has hit at least 25–26 suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, with about 90–95 people killed, according to official statements and media tallies.
- Lawmakers questioned Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in closed sessions, pressing for the full, unedited footage from the Sept. 2 strike and the legal rationale for the broader campaign.
- The controversy continues to focus on the Sept. 2 follow-up strike that killed two survivors, while the administration escalates pressure on Venezuela with the seizure of the sanctioned tanker Skipper and new Treasury sanctions on Maduro-linked associates and shipping firms.