Oct. 28 U.S. Strikes Draw Regional Backlash

On Oct. 28, U.S. forces carried out three strikes on four suspected narcotics vessels in the eastern Pacific at President Donald Trump’s direction, killing 14 people and leaving one survivor, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said. Hegseth said the strikes occurred in international waters, caused no U.S. casualties, and were described as part of an intensified campaign since September to treat some drug networks as “narco‑terrorists,” bringing the disclosed toll from the operations to about 57 dead. U.S. Southern Command initially conducted search-and-rescue and the lone survivor was turned over to and cared for by Mexican authorities. Mexico and Colombia publicly condemned the strikes as unlawful or unacceptable, and Venezuela’s government accused the United States of covert plotting and warned the actions threatened its sovereignty. Human-rights groups, some U.S. lawmakers and allies have questioned the legality and transparency of the operations and whether they bypassed Congressional authorization or violate international law. U.S. officials say the campaign is necessary to disrupt transnational narcotics trafficking and have signaled a broader naval and air buildup in the region.