U.S. Escalates Caribbean, Pacific Strikes; 43 Killed

The U.S. military has sharply escalated strikes on suspected drug‑smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, carrying out a tenth lethal strike in recent weeks as part of a campaign since September that U.S. officials say has killed roughly 43 people. The most recent nighttime strike killed six people whom Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described as “narco‑terrorists.” Washington has bolstered its presence with long‑range bomber flights and is sending the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to the Caribbean to nearly double naval assets and enhance interdiction capabilities. The administration has also imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his family and aides for alleged ties to drug trafficking, which Petro denies, and regional leaders including Venezuela have protested the strikes as illegal. Congress and some U.S. lawmakers have raised concerns about the strikes' legal authority and oversight, and a partial U.S. government shutdown is creating a domestic distraction.