Secretary of War Pete Hegseth dispatched the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group toward South America on Friday, as the United States continues to take out suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea and President Donald Trump hints at striking targets on land.
The aircraft carrier strike group will assist in disrupting &#8220;narcotics trafficking&#8221; and countering &#8220;narco-terrorism&#8221; in the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility, Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a <a href="https://x.com/SeanParnellASW/status/1981759934539985132">post</a> on X. The SOUTHCOM region encompasses all of Central and South America, along with the Caribbean.
&#8220;The enhanced U.S. force presence &#8230; will bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland and our security in the Western Hemisphere,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle TCOs [Transnational Criminal Organizations].
The USS Gerald Ford, America&#8217;s largest and most advanced aircraft carrier, is the flagship for Carrier Strike Group 12. The Strike Group also <a href="https://www.c2f.usff.navy.mil/csg12/">includes</a> a Carrier Air Wing, a Cruiser, and Destroyers. The carrier group is set to join eight other American ships in the region, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-aircraft-carrier-latin-america-uss-gerald-ford/">reported</a>. The growing U.S. military presence near South America is part of Trump&#8217;s effort to take out drug cartels and prevent deadly drugs from reaching American shores.
Trump has ordered <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/narco-terrorists-u-s-destroys-tren-de-aragua-drug-boat-in-caribbean-hegseth-says">10 strikes</a> against suspected drug runners in the Caribbean Sea, killing at least 43 people, while two other suspected cartel members have been captured. The president said on Wednesday that he would continue taking out suspected drug boats, adding that land strikes are &#8220;going to be next.&#8221;
Trump said that the United States is &#8220;totally prepared&#8221; to hit targets seeking to traffic drugs into the United States by land.
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&#8220;They&#8217;ll be coming in by land a little bit more because they&#8217;re not coming in by boat anymore. There are no boats in the water. There are no more boats,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/Breaking911/status/1981115684051702183">said</a>, adding, &#8220;And we will hit them very hard when they come in by land.&#8221;
The president&#8217;s boat strikes have focused on suspected cartel members coming out of Venezuela, enraging Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, who claims that the United States is seeking to force him out of power. Maduro has called the strikes “a military attack on civilians who were not at war and were not militarily threatening any country.”
Some lawmakers in Washington, D.C., have expressed concern about Trump&#8217;s strikes on suspected drug runners, arguing that Congress must grant approval before the administration uses the military to target suspected narco-terrorists in international waters. Most Democrats and some Republicans have called for more oversight of the Trump administration&#8217;s military actions in the Caribbean.
Republican Senators Mike Rounds (SD), Thom Tillis (NC), Todd Young (IN), and Susan Collins (ME), have all made public calls for more Congressional oversight on the strikes.
“This is a legitimate discussion between the two branches of government that we should always be having,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/us/politics/republicans-trump-drug-war.html">said</a> Tillis. “I think we’ve got to be very careful when you’re talking about ordering a kinetic strike.”
Senators Rand Paul (KY) and Lisa Murkowski (AK) have taken their opposition to Trump&#8217;s strikes a step further, joining with most Democrats earlier this month in an effort to pass a measure stopping the military action. Paul introduced the measure alongside Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), but it ultimately failed. Rounds, Young, Tillis, and Collins all voted against the measure, as did Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.
Trump said on Thursday that he doesn&#8217;t need to ask for a declaration of war to carry out the strikes.
“I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country, OK? We’re going to kill them, you know? They are going to be, like, dead,&#8221; he said.
He <a href="https://x.com/amconmag/status/1981462145112879262">added</a> that he might &#8220;go to Congress&#8221; to inform them about the land strikes, saying, &#8220;I can&#8217;t imagine they would have any problem.&#8221;
The Trump administration has told the American people that the strikes are conducted based on credible intelligence that marks the targets as cartel members.

USS Gerald Ford

U.S. Deploys Largest Aircraft Carrier To South America As Trump Hints At Land Strikes Against Cartels

U.S. Sends Largest Aircraft Carrier Toward South America As Trump Hints At Land Strikes Against Cart

Donald Trump

Drug Cartels

Pete Hegseth

U.S. Military

Venezuela

U.S. forces carried out a tenth strike on a suspected drug boat, killing six Tren de Aragua &#8220;narco-terrorists&#8221; Thursday night in the Caribbean, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said.
The &#8220;lethal kinetic strike&#8221; was the first to take place in the dead of night. It comes as the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-drug-boat-blown-to-pieces-after-ninth-u-s-strike-on-narco-terrorists?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Another+Drug+Boat+Blown+To+Pieces+After+Ninth+U.S.+Strike+On+%E2%80%98Narco-Terrorists%E2%80%99">Trump</a> administration ramps up a campaign of pressure against the Venezuelan regime over drug trafficking in the region.
&#8220;The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics,&#8221; Hegseth wrote on X of the hit, which took place in international waters.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Overnight, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO), trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean Sea.
The vessel was known by our… <a href="https://t.co/lVlw0FLBv4">pic.twitter.com/lVlw0FLBv4</a>
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1981706596972372446?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda. Day or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you,&#8221; he added.
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Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, on whom the Trump administration has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hikes-bounty-on-venezuelas-maduro-to-50m" target="_blank" rel="noopener">placed</a> a $50 million bounty, labeled the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-drug-boat-blown-to-pieces-after-ninth-u-s-strike-on-narco-terrorists?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Another+Drug+Boat+Blown+To+Pieces+After+Ninth+U.S.+Strike+On+%E2%80%98Narco-Terrorists%E2%80%99">strikes</a> as “a military attack on civilians who were not at war and were not militarily threatening any country,” while accusing Trump of “seeking a regime change” in the Latin American country.
Trump has signed off on a covert CIA operation in Venezuela against Maduro, who he believes is complicit in the drug trafficking campaign.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/b-1-bombers-buzz-venezuela-as-trump-floats-land-strikes-against-drug-cartels">B-1 bombers</a> also flew within 50 miles of Venezuela in a massive show of force Thursday.
U.S. Air Force and Marines flew B-52 bombers and F-35B jet fighters last week near an island off the coast of Venezuela in a show of force.
Trump said Thursday that drug trafficking along waterways has plummeted as a result of U.S. military strikes.
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“Now, they’re coming in by land, and even the land is concerned because I told them that’s going to be next,” the president <a href="https://x.com/JewishWarrior13/status/1981470436345938164" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We may go to the Congress and tell them about it, but I can’t imagine they would have any problem with it. I think, in fact, while we’re here, I think it’s a good idea, Pete, you go to Congress, you tell them about it. What are they going to do? Say, ‘gee, we don’t want to stop drugs pouring in?’ They’re killing 300,000 people per year.”
On Wednesday, Maduro claimed that thousands of Russian-made anti-air missiles are at the ready to handle threats.
“Any military force in the world knows the power of the Igla-S and Venezuela has no less than 5,000” of the missiles, Maduro said, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/23/americas/maduro-trump-venezuela-military-intl-hnk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>.
Trump said last week that Maduro desperately offered “everything” to the U.S.
“He’s offered everything,” <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/1979251067029246356" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Trump. “You know why? Because he doesn’t want to f*** around with the United States.”
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Untitled design (78)

‘Narco-Terrorists’: U.S. Destroys Tren De Aragua Drug Boat In Caribbean, Hegseth Says

Tren De Aragua

The FBI unveils a massive, mafia-tied gambling scheme involving big names in the NBA, the United States strikes another drug boat bringing “poison to our shores,” and sparks fly at the final debate for New York City mayor — but will it sway the race?
It’s Friday, October 24, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">NBA Gambling Ring</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-990669" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Basketball-Betting-Bust-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Basketball-Betting-Bust-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Basketball-Betting-Bust-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Basketball-Betting-Bust-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Basketball-Betting-Bust-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Basketball-Betting-Bust.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: A sprawling NBA gambling scandal was announced on Thursday, resulting in dozens of arrests, including former and current NBA players, coaches, and members of the Italian mafia.
The alleged scheme involved more than 30 people arrested, including Miami Heat point guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, a former player in the Hall of Fame. 
Charges from the investigation included wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, robbery, and illegal gambling. 
“The FBI led a coordinative take down across 11 states to arrest over 30 individuals today responsible for this case, which is very much ongoing,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a press conference. “We also entered and executed a system of justice against Laca Nora to include the Bonanno Gambino Genevese and Luccese crime families.”
First indictment: The case involves two separate indictments. The first relates to an insider betting scheme. Defendants charged in this scheme allegedly received non-public information, such as when players would be sitting out for injuries or planned absences, and used that to profit from gambling bets. 
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“One example occurred on March 23, 2023, in Charlotte, Terry Rozier, an NBA player now with the Miami Heat, but at the time playing for the Hornets, allegedly let others close to him know that he planned to leave the game early with a supposed injury,” said NYC Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “Using that information, members of the group placed more than $200,000 in wagers on his under statistics.&#8221;
Rozier exited the game after just nine minutes. The bets paid out tens of thousands of dollars in profit.
Second indictment: The second indictment relates to mafia-backed fixed poker games, where more than $7 million was cheated. This included new technology, such as an X-ray table that could read cards face down. Current or former NBA players like Billups were used to draw people into rigged games.
“The defendants in this case orchestrated a scheme to use wireless cheating technology to run rigged poker games across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella. “What the victims, the fish, didn&#8217;t know is that everybody else at the poker game, from the dealer to the players, including the face cards, were in on the scam. Once the game was underway, the defendants fleece the victims out of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars per game.”
The poker games played in the New York area were backed by at least four of the five mafia families there.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Drug Boat Strikes And Russia Sanctions</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-990667" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Drug-Boat-Dusted-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Drug-Boat-Dusted-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Drug-Boat-Dusted-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Drug-Boat-Dusted-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Drug-Boat-Dusted-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Drug-Boat-Dusted.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The U.S. military carried out its ninth strike against what it said was a drug boat from a known terrorist entity heading toward the United States. Meanwhile, President Trump has imposed new sanctions on Russia for the first time since he returned to the Oval Office.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that the military carried out its eighth and ninth strikes against drug boats. These strikes took place in the Pacific Ocean, a first. Up until now, the strikes have been targeted in the Caribbean, which is a known smuggling corridor for narcotraffickers in Venezuela and Colombia.
Latin American resistance: The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, called to potentially “get rid” of Trump over his campaign of pressure. Trump has accused Petro of playing a role in the drug trade and has pulled U.S. funding to Colombia.
On Thursday, Trump responded to the Colombian president’s threats, saying that the Latin American leader is a “thug and bad guy” who should “watch it.”
For now, the strikes will continue, Hegseth says.
Sanctions on Russia: The Treasury Department has now announced new sanctions on Russia for the first time in Trump’s second term. The sanctions target Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, as well as dozens of their subsidiaries.
The sanctions came alongside additional penalties from the European Union, as well as more from the U.K., announced last week. President Trump’s new pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin was a welcome move in Washington and in Europe.
“You have to compel Russia to engage in the peace process,” <a href="https://x.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1981329802754769164">said</a> House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). “They&#8217;ve shown they cannot be trusted. There&#8217;s a big appetite in Congress to have sanctions like this, and I think it&#8217;s a very important step.”
More important than the sanctions themselves is the message they convey. In its announcement of the sanctions package, the Treasury also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-sanctioning-russian-energy-heres-what-to-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threatened</a> secondary sanctions against any entity that does business with Rosneft and Lukoil.
Trump on San Francisco: Trump has reversed course on sending National Guard troops to San Francisco. He said in a Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115424560133045127">post</a> on Thursday that “friends of mine who live in the area called last night to ask me not to go forward with the surge in that the Mayor, Daniel Lurie, was making substantial progress.” He said he spoke to Lurie, a moderate Democrat who took office in January, and decided to give him a chance to turn the city around – which means Trump could change his mind in the future if he doesn’t like what he sees in San Francisco.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Mamdani Cracks In Second NYC Debate</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-990665" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Mamdani-Melts-Onstage-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Mamdani-Melts-Onstage-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Mamdani-Melts-Onstage-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Mamdani-Melts-Onstage-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Mamdani-Melts-Onstage-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Mamdani-Melts-Onstage.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The frontrunner in New York’s mayoral race, Zohran Mamdani, faced a barrage of criticism in the final televised debate on Wednesday, raising questions about whether his performance managed to shake his lead or reinforce doubts about his readiness for the job.
The atmosphere of the race was definitely charged—not just because of the policies on the table, but also because of the direct, unrelenting pressure former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo put on Mamdani.
Polls show that while Mamdani is far and away the favorite to win, some also show he would be in a dead heat with Cuomo if Republican Curtis Sliwa were to drop out of the race.
Many media outlets and analysts said Mamdani looked uncomfortable and hesitant. He also appeared severely rushed. Some of his responses felt like watching a video at double speed.
However, some left-leaning outlets, such as Politico, said Mamdani won. The New York Times said Cuomo hurt him, but probably not enough. But the viral clips from the debate have received brutal responses, painting Mamdani as an unprepared left-wing extremist.
The debate: One of the most damaging moments circulating on social media came when Cuomo directly confronted Mamdani on his inexperience. 
“You have never had a job. You&#8217;ve never accomplished anything. There&#8217;s no reason to believe you have any merit or qualification for eight and a half million lives. You don&#8217;t know how to run a government, you don&#8217;t know how to handle an emergency, and you&#8217;ve literally never proposed a bill on anything that you&#8217;re not talking about,” Cuomo <a href="https://x.com/EYakoby/status/1981146015714726293">ripped</a> into Mamdani.
“In your campaign, you had the worst attendance record in the assembly, and you gave yourselves the highest raise in the United States of America. You went from $110,000 to $140,000, and then you never showed up for work, and you missed 80% of the votes. Shame on you,” he continued.
Cuomo also pinned Mamdani down on the rent freeze policy, labeling it as political blather.
“Zohran is a great actor. He missed his calling. Freeze rent sounds great, yeah, it affects about 25% of the number of housing units in the city of New York. It&#8217;s not a new idea. Bill de Blasio did it. It turned out to be a debacle,” Cuomo <a href="https://x.com/nypost/status/1981152739963945271">said</a>.
Often, Mamdani didn’t help himself. For example, when he suggested that when 911 receives a call, dispatchers should decide whether it’s appropriate to send police, or maybe send mental healthcare providers instead.
“Yet what we have in our city is asking those same police officers who are being asked to respond to shootings, respond to murders, to also respond to these calls. I trust the dispatchers who would be receiving these calls to make the determination as to whether there was any indication of violence. If there is no indication of a threat of violence, then we would set the mental health experts and providers to respond to those same incidents,” <a href="https://x.com/EYakoby/status/1981149365818585538">said</a> Mamdani.
How bad was it?: Polling data is still being analyzed, so it’s really too early to tell. But it’s interesting to note that there are reports that Chinese-owned TikTok appears to be pulling out all the stops for Mamdani now, maybe trying to head off any leaks of support.
The New York Post reported that TikTok’s algorithm has been boosting pro-Mamdani content while suppressing pro-Cuomo clips.

MRN_251024_V1

Morning Brief: FBI Uncovers An NBA-Tied Gambling Ring & Trump Takes Out Another Drug Boat

Andrew Cuomo

Colombia

kash patel

Media

Morning Wire

New York City

Politics

Russia

San Francisco

United States

Zohran Mamdani

B-1 bombers flew within about 50 miles from Venezuela on Thursday as the United States continues to strike drug boats departing from the South American country.
Asked about the flights during a panel discussion at the White House on Thursday, Trump denied that two B-1 Lancers had flown close to Venezuela.
“Not accurate,” said Trump when asked about a report of the flights published in <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/u-s-sends-b-1-bombers-near-venezuela-ramping-up-military-pressure-f9514126?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqct8eI22sfNUn8PGvMT7DHl2W8B7iN_X8snWbnKrunmfqdpycQEz-Md4hUOGko%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68fa9ec4&amp;gaa_sig=IV4Xvw66NaSXyHKSBQjdViniRSys-tsUYH-1XlguDWBRDhGAxnZ31FHaVYEEJbFRHkAQpSgCqiEJ3InLUBUiVA%3D%3D">The Wall Street Journal</a>. “No, it’s false, but we&#8217;re not happy with Venezuela for a lot of reasons. Drugs being one of them.”
The flights have been <a href="https://x.com/NatashaBertrand/status/1981454534548341183">tracked</a> on flight radars. The two bombers took off from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas on Thursday and flew near Venezuela, but remained over international waters, according to WSJ.
The flights followed a show of force last week when B-52 bombers and F-35B jet fighters operated by the U.S. Air Force and Marines flew near an island off the coast of Venezuela.
The U.S. military has blown up at least seven boats in international waters in the Caribbean said to be carrying deadly drugs to the United States, and another two boats in the Pacific. President Donald Trump has accused the leadership of Venezuela and Colombia of facilitating the transport of drugs in the United States.
Trump said on Thursday that drugs coming to the United States by water have plummeted because of military action, and he suggested that strikes could soon be conducted against drug cartels and narco-terrorists on land, as well.
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“Now, they’re coming in by land, and even the land is concerned because I told them that’s going to be next,” the president <a href="https://x.com/JewishWarrior13/status/1981470436345938164">said</a>. “We may go to the Congress and tell them about it, but I can’t imagine they would have any problem with it. I think, in fact, while we’re here, I think it’s a good idea, Pete, you go to Congress, you tell them about it. What are they going to do? Say, ‘gee, we don’t want to stop drugs pouring in?’ They’re killing 300,000 people per year.”
Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, on whom the Trump administration has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hikes-bounty-on-venezuelas-maduro-to-50m">placed</a> a $50 million bounty, claimed on Wednesday that thousands of Russian-made anti-air missiles are placed strategically around the country to handle any threats from the air.
“Any military force in the world knows the power of the Igla-S and Venezuela has no less than 5,000” of the missiles, Maduro said, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/23/americas/maduro-trump-venezuela-military-intl-hnk">CNN</a>.
Last week, Trump said that Maduro has offered “everything” to the United States.
“He’s offered everything,” <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/1979251067029246356">said</a> Trump. “You know why? Because he doesn&#8217;t want to f*** around with the United States.”

B-1B Bombers

B-1 Bombers Buzz Venezuela As Trump Floats ‘Land’ Strikes Against Drug Cartels

Global Politics

Nicolas Maduro

World

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Sunday that the U.S. military took out a drug-smuggling boat he said was connected to a Colombian terrorist group. 
According to Hegseth, the Department of War on Friday conducted a lethal kinetic strike targeting a vessel linked to the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), a designated foreign terrorist organization. The ELN, also known as the National Liberation Army, is an insurgent group that clashes with the Colombian government. 
“The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was traveling along a known narco-trafficking route, and was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics,” Hegseth said. “There were three male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel during the strike—which was conducted in international waters. All three terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
On October 17th, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), a Designated Terrorist Organization, that was operating in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility.
The… <a href="https://t.co/1v7oR879LC">pic.twitter.com/1v7oR879LC</a>
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1979930208472912048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“These cartels are the Al Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere, using violence, murder and terrorism to impose their will, threaten our national security and poison our people. The United States military will treat these organizations like the terrorists they are—they will be hunted, and killed, just like Al Qaeda,” Hegseth added. 
Earlier this month, Hegseth set up a new counter-narcotics task force meant to target drug cartels operating in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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The ELN is one of the “one of the most powerful insurgent groups in Colombia,” <a href="https://www.dni.gov/nctc/terrorist_groups/eln.html">according</a> to the National Counterterrorism Center, which is staffed with personnel from various federal intelligence agencies. With around 2,500 fighters, the group aims to control portions of Colombia where drugs are produced through armed assaults, assassinations, extortion operations, and hostage-takings. 
The strike comes as President Donald Trump has been placing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-puts-colombian-president-on-notice-over-drug-production-close-up-these-killing-fields?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Trump+Puts+Colombian+President+On+Notice+Over+Drug+Production%3A+‘Close+Up+These+Killing+Fields’">increased pressure</a> on Colombian authorities to crack down on drug trafficking. Trump announced over the weekend that he would be cutting off foreign aid to the South American country. 
“They don&#8217;t have a fight against drugs. They make drugs. They refine drugs. They make cocaine. They have cocaine factories. They have no fight against drugs. And I&#8217;m stopping all payments to Colombia because they don&#8217;t have anything to do with their fight against drugs,” Trump said Sunday night. “They are a drug manufacturing machine, Colombia, and we&#8217;re not going to be part of it.”

President Trump Holds Cabinet Meeting At The White House

U.S. Takes Out Narco-Terror Boat As Trump Yanks Aid To Colombia

Department of War

Terrorism

Multiple people reportedly survived a U.S. strike on Thursday that targeted a boat carrying suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean.
An American official <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-military-drone-strike-caribbean-leaves-survivors-official-confirms">told</a> Fox News that there were two to three survivors after the U.S. carried out a strike targeting a “big” drug boat that was partially submerged under water. A search and rescue helicopter was sent out to the site of the strike in international waters, according to Fox News. Reuters first <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-carries-out-new-strike-caribbean-there-are-survivors-us-official-says-2025-10-16/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> news of the survivors.
No other details on the strike were immediately available.
The Trump administration has ordered at least five strikes targeting suspected drug traffickers, but the others have left no known survivors. At least 27 suspected drug traffickers have been killed in the previous strikes, according to U.S. officials. 
Thursday’s attack was the second this week, following another strike <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-the-united-states-took-out-another-narcoterrorist-boat?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=13&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+The+United+States+Took+Out+Another+‘Narcoterrorist’+Boat">announced</a> by President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
“Under my Standing Authorities as Commander-in-Chief, this morning, the Secretary of War, ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility — just off the Coast of Venezuela,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known DTO route,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;The strike was conducted in International Waters, and six male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike. No U.S. Forces were harmed. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!!”
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Last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/1976746496830959965">announced</a> that he had established a new counter-narcotics task force that was directed to “crush the cartels, stop the poison, and keep America safe.” 
“The message is clear: if you traffic drugs toward our shores, we will stop you cold,” Hegseth warned. 
The strikes have been opposed by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who claims the Trump administration is targeting civilians. Trump has authorized the CIA to conduct lethal operations in Venezuela, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/us-strikes-cartel-boat-are-survivors-rcna238104">claiming</a> that President Nicolás Maduro has “emptied” his prisons into the United States and that “a lot of drugs are coming” from Venezuela.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-congress-u-s-in-armed-conflict-with-terrorist-drug-cartels">has told</a> Congress that the United States is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels that he has designated as terrorist organizations. That came after the State Department classified violent gangs like Tren de Aragua as foreign terrorist organizations.

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U.S. Strike Targeting Suspected Drug Traffickers Leaves Survivors: Report

Military

The notorious Mexican drug cartels are pushing for the killings of federal agents conducting immigration raids in Chicago.
The Department of Homeland Security <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/10/14/bounties-originating-mexico-offered-shoot-ice-and-cbp-officers-chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> Tuesday that there’s “credible intelligence” that the cartels are offering “domestic extremist groups” and “street gangs” large bounties to attack the federal agents.
Cartels have offered $2,000 payments for anyone who can dox federal agents, $5,000 to $10,000 to anyone who can kidnap or assault them, and a whopping $50,000 for the assassination of top immigration officials, according to DHS.
“These criminal networks are not just resisting the rule of law, they are waging an organized campaign of terror against the brave men and women who protect our borders and communities,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement Tuesday.
“Our agents are facing ambushes, drone surveillance, and death threats, all because they dare to enforce the laws passed by Congress. We will not back down from these threats, and every criminal, terrorist, and illegal alien will face American justice.”
Armed gang “spotters” have been deployed to rooftops in Chicago’s Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods to track the movements of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection officers making arrests.
A leader of the Latin Kings gang was recently arrested in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gang-leader-arrested-in-plot-to-murder-chief-of-trumps-illinois-deportation-raids">Chicago</a> after he allegedly attempted to orchestrate a murder-for-hire scheme to take out Commander at Large of the U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino.
“It’s a war zone out there,” Bovino <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6382156307112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News host Sean Hannity after the threat emerged.
He added: “That’s something out of a third-world country, is this America?”
The Trump administration has sought to send in hundreds of troops amid the surge in threats, but the effort has been blocked by a judge for now amid an ongoing lawsuit from the State of Illinois.
In the meantime, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doubling-down-noem-says-ice-will-open-even-more-facilities-in-chicago?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Doubling+Down%E2%80%99%3A+Noem+Says+ICE+Will+Open+Even+More+Facilities+In+Chicago">Noem</a> said the feds are “doubling down” and looking to expand the illegal immigration crackdown in Chicago by opening more ICE facilities in the area.
“We’re purchasing more buildings in Chicago to operate out of. We’re gonna not back off, in fact, we’re doubling down, and we’re gonna be in more parts of Chicago in response to the people there,” Noem said during a cabinet meeting last week.
“What they’re trying to do with these riots and violence is distract us and keep us from going after those murderers and rapists that are out on the streets,” she added.

U.S. Border Patrol

Mexican Cartels Place Bounties On Federal Agents In Chicago

Department of Homeland Security

Kristi Noem

The Trump administration has stripped at least 50 Mexican politicians of their visas, saying the officials have ties to drug cartels.
While previous administrations have taken similar actions, the Trump administration is revoking visas at an unprecedented scale, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-revokes-visas-over-50-mexican-politicians-new-drug-war-front-2025-10-14/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
President Donald Trump’s previous acting Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Derek Maltz told The Daily Wire that there’s “a long history of the cartels relying on corrupt officials and politicians in Mexico to advance their criminal goals.”
“Travel to America, the greatest country in the world, is a privilege, not a right. Travel visas for individuals are not automatic and I&#8217;m glad to see that the State Department is scrutinizing them at a new level,” he said.
“Nobody should be surprised that this administration is looking outside the box and will use all capabilities to make it difficult for the cartels to continue to kill Americans at record levels,” he added.
A senior State Department official told The Daily Wire that the Trump administration has had “a good working relationship” with the Mexican government led by President Claudia Sheinbaum and looks “forward to continuing to advance our bilateral relationship in the interest of the America first foreign policy agenda.”
Visas can be revoked for many reasons, including violations of American law, overstaying permissions, corruption, drug trafficking, acting as an agent of the Chinese Communist Party, espionage, aiding illegal immigration, the official said. However, the official didn’t confirm the visa revocations.
The Trump administration has prioritized efforts to counter drug cartels and has taken out 27 alleged “narcoterrorists” in kinetic strikes on multiple vessels traversing international waters that were believed to be transporting deadly drugs.
The War Department carried out such a strike off the coast of Venezuela Tuesday morning, taking out six alleged drug traffickers.
“Unprecedented death and destruction to American communities and families requires unprecedented action by the United States government,” said Maltz.
The cartels’ control over Mexican administrations has increased in recent years as presidents shy away from fighting the narcotraffickers, according to a 2024 <a href="https://www.texaspolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-01-RR-SST-Abrazos-no-Balazos-The-Mexican-State-Cartel-Nexus-update-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> by the Texas Public Policy Foundation. An estimated 35% to 40% of Mexico is controlled by the drug cartels.

MixCollage-05-May-2025-07-30-AM-9035

Trump Admin Pulls Visas From 50 Mexican Officials Over Cartel Ties

Cartels

Claudia Sheinbaum

Mexico

The United States obliterated yet another boat full of “narcoterrorists,” President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social Tuesday.
The Department of War took out the vessel Tuesday morning, killing six men off the coast of Venezuela, Trump said.
“Under my Standing Authorities as Commander-in-Chief, this morning, the Secretary of War, ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility — just off the Coast of Venezuela,” Trump wrote.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known DTO route. The strike was conducted in International Waters, and six male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike. No U.S. Forces were harmed. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/AYyPZuUsm9">https://t.co/AYyPZuUsm9</a> <a href="https://t.co/1gY3vBnvqa">pic.twitter.com/1gY3vBnvqa</a>
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1978155508960813249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
Footage of the dramatic takedown showed a flash of light hit the small boat in isolated waters as it burst into flames.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-takes-out-another-boat-in-caribbean-killing-four-suspected-narco-terrorists">Trump</a> administration has taken out several drug cartel vessels bound for the United States, killing 27 suspected terrorists in five strikes.
Wes Tabor, who was in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s office in Caracas in 2012, told The Daily Wire that the Trump administration is “squeezing” the drug cartels.
“The permissive environment they long enjoyed is evaporating,” he said.
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Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-deploys-forces-to-take-on-latin-american-drug-cartels-in-the-southern-caribbean" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deployed</a> troops and military assets to the South Caribbean in August to take on “threats to U.S. national security from specially designated narco-terrorist organizations in the region.”
The Trump administration declared that the United States is engaged in an “armed conflict” with the drug cartels, defending his actions as self-defense while facing backlash from Democrats in Congress, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-armed-conflict-cb57804807e55a00ace60ad5f4d4f24d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, citing a September White House memo.
“The President determined that the United States is in a non-international armed conflict with these designated terrorist organizations,” the memo said, adding “The United States has now reached a critical point where we must use force in self-defense and defense of others against the ongoing attacks by these designated terrorist organizations.”
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has called the strikes “a military attack on civilians who were not at war and were not militarily threatening any country,” while accusing the Trump administration of “seeking a regime change” in Venezuela.
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Trump Says The United States Took Out Another ‘Narcoterrorist’ Boat

narco-terrorism

Senate Republicans—joined by one high-profile Democrat—on Wednesday <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-war-powers-trump-venezuela-boat-strikes/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">blocked</a> a War Powers resolution that sought to stop President Donald Trump from continuing airstrikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean. The measure failed in a 51–48 vote, with Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman breaking ranks to vote against it, while Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska sided with Democrats.
The resolution, spearheaded by Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff of California and Tim Kaine of Virginia, would have required congressional authorization before the U.S. military could engage in hostilities with any non-state drug-trafficking organizations, including those that the Trump administration has labeled “foreign terrorist organizations.” The White House has already conducted four strikes on vessels near Venezuela since early September, and has declared the U.S. is in a “non-international armed conflict” with cartels.
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“The Administration strongly opposes passage of S.J. Res. 83, a joint resolution that would direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities against any foreign terrorist organization or specially designated global terrorist designated on or after February 20, 2025, engaged in the promotion, trafficking, or distribution of illegal drugs, and other related activities,” the Trump administration <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense/3834945/trump-cartels-us-armed-conflict-memo-congress/">stated</a> on Tuesday.
At the beginning of October, the White House <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense/3834945/trump-cartels-us-armed-conflict-memo-congress/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent a memo</a> to Congress stating that the drug cartels were terrorist organizations and unlawful combatants. “The United States has now reached a critical point where we must use force in self-defense and defense of others against the ongoing attacks by these designated terrorist organizations,” it declared.
“As we have said many times, the President acted in line with the law of armed conflict to protect our country from those trying to bring deadly poison to our shores, and he is delivering on his promise to take on the cartels and eliminate these national security threats from murdering more Americans,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly commented.
GOP Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho <a href="https://www.notus.org/foreign-policy/trump-caribbean-boat-strikes-republicans-senate-democrats-vote?utm_source=chatgpt.com">said</a> the strikes were “fully compliant and fully justified.” Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) called the cartels “narco-terrorists” and praised Trump for “trying to get drugs out of this country.”
Sen. Paul argued, “Is it too much to ask to know the names of those we kill before we kill them? To know what evidence exists of their guilt?” He added: “Death is generally not the penalty for drug smuggling.”
Fetterman’s vote gave the administration the edge it needed. He has demonstrated a willingness to break with Democrats before, especially regarding the Israel-Hamas war.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Fuck Hamas. <a href="https://t.co/1j2nOcn1IO">pic.twitter.com/1j2nOcn1IO</a>
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1975327523509538827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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US-POLITICS-DEFENSE-PUERTO RICO

Fetterman Breaks Ranks As Senate Kills Bid To Stop Trump’s Caribbean Strikes

Congress

John Fetterman

Rand Paul

Senate

The Treasury Department announced sanctions on Monday against an illicit fentanyl network tied to the Sinaloa Cartel as the Trump administration ramps up its war on drug traffickers. 
The department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said the sanctions would impact eight Mexicans and 12 Mexico-based companies tied to the Sinaloa Cartel’s Los Chapitos faction. The State Department has designated the Sinaloa Cartel a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
“Over 500,000 Americans have died of fentanyl poisoning,” said Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley. “President Trump has made clear that stopping the deadly flow of drugs into our country is a top national security priority. Under Secretary Bessent’s leadership, the Treasury Department is committed to dismantling the complex financial networks that support these terrorist organizations.”
The main company targeted by the sanctions is Sumilab, which the department said was responsible for shipping fentanyl precursor chemicals to the Sinaloa Cartel. A number of individuals affiliated with the company, including Jorge Luis Favela Lopez, Francisco Favela Lopez, Victor Andres Favela Lopez, and Martha Emilia, were all sanctioned. 
The department said that the family was “responsible for supplying and distributing precursor chemicals and lab equipment to Sinaloa Cartel-affiliated chemical brokers and lab operators, who produce illicit fentanyl and methamphetamine.”
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-981565 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-06-at-9.20.23-AM.png" alt="" width="1583" height="1183" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-06-at-9.20.23-AM.png 1583w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-06-at-9.20.23-AM-300x224.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-06-at-9.20.23-AM-771x576.png 771w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-06-at-9.20.23-AM-768x574.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-06-at-9.20.23-AM-1536x1148.png 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1583px) 100vw, 1583px" /></div>
Sumilab was first targeted by the Treasury Department back in 2023, after which the company removed signs from its building.
<div id="attachment_981557" style="width: 634px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-981557" class="wp-image-981557 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/unnamed-5.png" alt="" width="624" height="188" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/unnamed-5.png 624w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/unnamed-5-300x90.png 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px" />Treasury Department</div>
Also sanctioned was Martha Emilia Conde Uraga, who, the department stated, was a “longtime” Sinaloa Cartel-affiliated chemical broker operating out of several locations in Culiacán, Mexico.
“Utilizing fraudulent invoicing and other concealment methods, Conde Uraga supplies precursor chemicals to drug traffickers and lab operators working for the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel,” the department said. 
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Seven other chemical, laboratory equipment, and agriculture-related companies operated by the Favela Lopez family, including Agrolaren, Viand, Favelab, Qui Lab, and Storelab, were also sanctioned, the Trump administration said. 
As a result of the sanctions “all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to” the department and “any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.”

President Trump Signs Executive Order In The Oval Office

Trump’s Treasury Sanctions Entities Tied To Notorious Mexican Cartel

Fentanyl

Sinaloa Cartel

Treasury Department

Another boat carrying suspected drug runners and their payload was blown to smithereens on Friday morning, under orders from President Donald Trump.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted a video of the strike against the suspected &#8220;narco-terrorists,&#8221; saying that U.S. intelligence &#8220;without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics.&#8221; It marks the fourth strike ordered by the president against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea.
&#8220;Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike, and no U.S. forces were harmed in the operation. The strike was conducted in international waters just off the coast of Venezuela while the vessel was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics &#8211; headed to America to poison our people,&#8221; said Hegseth. &#8220;Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route. These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Earlier this morning, on President Trump&#8217;s orders, I directed a lethal, kinetic strike on a narco-trafficking vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility. Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the… <a href="https://t.co/QpNPljFcGn">pic.twitter.com/QpNPljFcGn</a>
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1974150886084485503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-deploys-forces-to-take-on-latin-american-drug-cartels-in-the-southern-caribbean">deployed</a> troops and military assets to the South Caribbean in August to take on “threats to U.S. national security from specially designated narco-terrorist organizations in the region.” U.S. forces have now killed 21 suspected drug runners in four strikes against suspected &#8220;narco-terrorists.&#8221;
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The Trump administration told Congress earlier this week that the president has decided the United States is in an &#8220;armed conflict&#8221; with drug cartels and that his actions are in self-defense, as Democrats condemn the strikes. A White House spokeswoman <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/us/politics/trump-drug-cartels-war.html?smid=tw-share">told</a> The New York Times that “the president acted in line with the law of armed conflict to protect our country from those trying to bring deadly poison to our shores, and he is delivering on his promise to take on the cartels and eliminate these national security threats from murdering more Americans.”
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has also condemned the U.S. action off his country&#8217;s coast, calling the strikes “a military attack on civilians who were not at war and were not militarily threatening any country.” He also accused the Trump administration of &#8220;seeking a regime change&#8221; in Venezuela. Maduro has a $50 million bounty on his head, which was placed by the U.S. government, citing his alleged ties to transnational gangs and drug cartels.

U.S. government – Unclassified

U.S. Takes Out Another Boat In Caribbean, Killing Four Suspected ‘Narco-Terrorists’

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