U.S. Strikes Kill 14 off Colombia Coast

The U.S. military carried out three strikes on four vessels in the eastern Pacific off the coast of Colombia, killing 14 people and leaving one survivor, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, posting video and saying the boats were narcotics‑trafficking vessels tied to designated terrorist organizations. Pentagon officials said the vessels had been tracked along known narco‑trafficking routes and that the strikes were carried out at President Trump’s direction. The attacks expand a campaign that began in the Caribbean and bring the known toll from U.S. strikes on suspected trafficking boats to about 57 dead and 14 vessels destroyed. Mexican authorities coordinated the lone survivor’s rescue, and officials said no U.S. forces were harmed. The operations have prompted bipartisan alarm and legal questions over authority and transparency, with critics including Sen. Rand Paul calling them “extrajudicial killings” and Sen. Ruben Gallego calling them “sanctioned murder.”