Timeline of Boat Strikes and Related Actions

The following timeline chronicles major events in the Trump administration’s ongoing campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. The timeline, which focuses primarily on vessel strikes, relevant statements from administration officials, and congressional actions, will be updated on a regular basis to reflect new developments. For analysis and further information on these strikes, including their legality under domestic and international law, see Just Security’s Collection: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers, Operation Southern Spear, Operation Absolute Resolve.

Overview as of May 29, 2026: 61 strikes; 202 killed (including 15 missing/presumed dead) and 3 known survivors 

SIXTY-FIRST STRIKE: May 29, 2026 – 61st strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three people.

SIXTIETH STRIKE: May 27, 2026 – 60th strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people. 

FIFTY-NINTH STRIKE: May 26, 2026 – 59th strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three (including two initial survivors, now missing/presumed dead)

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one person and leaving two survivors. “Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors,” U.S. Southern Command stated.

FIFTY-EIGHTH STRIKE: May 8, 2026 – 58th strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three (including one initial survivor, now missing/presumed dead)

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people and leaving one survivor. “Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor,” U.S. Southern Command stated.

FIFTY-SEVENTH STRIKE: May 5, 2026 – 57th strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three people.

FIFTY-SIXTH STRIKE: May 4, 2026 – 56th strike on a vessel in the Caribbean, killing two

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the Caribbean Sea, killing two people.

FIFTY-FIFTH STRIKE: April 26, 2026 – 55th strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three people.

FIFTY-FOURTH STRIKE: April 24, 2026 – 54th strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two

As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people.

FIFTY-THIRD STRIKE: April 19, 2026 – 53rd strike on a vessel in the Caribbean, killing three

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the Caribbean Sea, killing three people.

FIFTY-SECOND STRIKE: April 15, 2026 – 52nd strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the eastern Pacific, killing three people.

FIFTY-FIRST STRIKE: April 14, 2026 – 51st strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing four

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the eastern Pacific, killing four people.

FIFTIETH STRIKE: April 13, 2026 – 50th strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the eastern Pacific, killing two people.

FORTY-EIGHTH AND FORTY-NINTH STRIKE: April 11, 2026 – 48th and 49th  strikes on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing  six (including one initial survivor, now missing/presumed dead)

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, conducted two strikes on two vessels “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the eastern Pacific, killing five people and leaving one survivor. “Following the engagements, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor,” U.S. Southern Command stated.

FORTY-SEVENTH STRIKE March 25, 2026 – 47th strike on one vessel in the Caribbean Sea, killing four

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the Caribbean Sea, killing four people. 

FORTY-SIXTH STRIKE March 19, 2026 – 46th strike on one vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two and leaving one survivor  (later rescued)

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a strike on a “low-profile” vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the Eastern Pacific, leaving three survivors following the strike. 
• Southern Command said it “immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors.”

The U.S. Coast Guard later stated that two people were killed, and one survived. The Coast Guard said they turned the survivor over to the Costa Rican Coast Guard

FORTY-FIFTH STRIKE March 8, 2026 – 45th strike on one vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing six

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the Eastern Pacific, killing six people.

FORTY-FOURTH STRIKE February 23, 2026 – 44th strike on one vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the Eastern Pacific, killing three people.

FORTY-THIRD STRIKE February 20, 2026 – 43rd strike on one vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the Eastern Pacific, killing three people.

FORTIETH, FORTY-FIRST, AND FORTY-SECOND STRIKE February 16, 2026 – 40th, 41st, and 42nd strikes on three vessels, killing eleven

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a first strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing four; a second strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing four; and a third strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea, killing three. The post states that the vessels were “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations.”

THIRTY-NINTH STRIKE February 13, 2026 – 39th strike on one vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the Caribbean Sea, killing three people.

THIRTY-EIGHTH STRIKE February 9, 2026 – 38th strike on one vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three (including one initial survivor, now missing/presumed dead)

• As shared on social media and accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people. One person survived the strike, according to the post. Southern Command “immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor.”

February 7 – First known American casualty of Operation Southern Spear

• American Lance Cpl Chukwuemeka E. Oforah, 21, fell from the U.S.S. Iwo Jima and was lost at sea. According to the BBC, he fell from the U.S. attack ship while assisting Operation Southern Spear. He was pronounced dead on Feb. 10, becoming the first known American casualty during the operation.
• Note: Oforah’s death remains under investigation by the U.S. military.

THIRTY-SEVENTH STRIKE February 5, 2026 – 37th strike on one vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two

• As shared in a social media post accompanied by video, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the eastern Pacific Ocean. According to a U.S. Southern Command press release, two people were killed in the strike.  The strike was at the direction of Gen. Francis Donovan, head of U.S. Southern Command.
• With this strike, about two-thirds of boat strikes announced by the United States had taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

THIRTY-SIXTH STRIKE January 23 – 36th strike on one vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three (including one survivor, now missing/presumed dead)

• On January 23, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people aboard, according to a U.S. Southern Command press release. Southern Command stated that it notified the U.S. Coast Guard to “activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor.”
• Note: The survivor was not found and is presumed dead. 

January 15 – Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado visits the White House

• On a visit to the White House, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, recipient of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, offered President Donald Trump her Nobel Peace Prize medal. In an interview with Fox News, Machado said she decided to “present the Nobel Peace Prize medal on behalf of the people of Venezuela.”

January 11 – Trump says Venezuela will no longer ship oil to Cuba

• Trump posted on Truth Social that the “large amounts of oil and money from Venezuela” which “Cuba lived, for many years, on” would no longer flow between the two countries. He suggested that the U.S. would potentially use its “most powerful military” to “protect [Venezuela from Cuba]” and “strongly suggest[ed]” that Cuba “make a deal before it is too late.” 
• Trump also replied “Sounds good” to a post suggesting that Secretary of State Rubio should become the next President of Cuba.

January 10 – U.S. State Department issues “Do Not Travel; Depart Immediately” security alert for Venezuela

• The security alert stated that U.S. citizens “should take precautions and be aware of their surroundings” amid reports of “armed militias, known as colectivos, setting up roadblocks and searching vehicles for evidence of U.S. citizenship or support for the United States” following the U.S. capture of President Maduro on January 3.
• Venezuela’s foreign ministry claimed the warning was “based on fabricated accounts aimed at creating a perception of risk that does not exist.” 
• Note: U.S. State Department officials visited Caracas on Jan. 9 as part of reported preparations for the re-opening of the U.S. embassy in Venezuela.

January 9 – Trump meets with oil industry representatives to discuss investment in Venezuela 

• Trump invited around 20 oil industry representatives–including executives from Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and ExxonMobil–to a meeting in the White House to discuss the administration’s plan for the companies to invest at least $100 billion in rebuilding Venezuela’s oil infrastructure. Following the meeting, Trump told reporters that the administration and oil companies in attendance had “formed a deal.”
• Exxon’s CEO stated he was ready “to put a team on the ground” with appropriate security guarantees but claimed that the “legal and commercial constructs and frameworks in place today in Venezuela today” make it “uninvestable.” Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that the Chevron Corp, which had operations in Venezuela before the January 3 invasion, provided the “one specific pledge” the administration currently has for investment in Venezuela’s infrastructure. 
• Note-1: On the same day, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the U.S. would likely lift additional sanctions on Venezuelan oil in order to facilitate sales, as well as meet with the IMF and World Bank to discuss utilizing $5 billion of Venezuela’s currently frozen assets to “rebuild” the country. He suggested that the U.S. Import-Export Bank may help guarantee financing for Venezuelan oil infrastructure.
• Note-2: On the same day, Trump stated that since the U.S. and Venezuela were “working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure,” he had chosen to cancel a “previously expected second Wave of Attacks” by the U.S. military. However, he noted that “all [U.S. military] ships will stay in place for safety and security purposes.”

January 9 – U.S. Coast Guard and Navy team board oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea

• U.S. Southern Command announced via X (accompanied with video) that a joint U.S. Coast Guard and Navy team boarded the oil tanker M/T Olina in the Caribbean Sea.  
• Note-1: This is the fifth oil tanker linked to Venezuela intercepted since the start of December 2025.
• Note-2: Unlike in the seizure of the Marinera, U.S. authorities did not have a court-issued warrant to seize the Olina, according to New York Times reporting. 

January 8 – Senate passes a bill under the War Powers Resolution to prevent further military action in or against Venezuela without congressional authorization

• The Senate voted 52-47 to advance a joint resolution to block further U.S. military action in Venezuela. That resolution specified that “use of military force by the United States Armed Forces within or against Venezuela constitutes the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities.” Republican Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Todd Young (R-IN), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Josh Hawley (R-MO) voted with Democrats in favor of the legislation. 
• Trump criticized passage of the resolution on social media, stating Republican senators in support “should be ashamed” and “never be elected to office again” and claiming the War Powers Resolution was unconstitutional as it “greatly hampers American Self Defense and National Security, impeding the President’s Authority as Commander in Chief.” 
• Note: On Jan. 14, the Senate defeated the measure in a roll call vote. The final vote was Yea-Nea 50-50, with Vice President J.D. Vance brought in to break the tie. Two senators who initially voted in favor of the legislation changed their votes—Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Todd Young (R-IN).
• Note: Readers may be interested in analysis by Tess Bridgeman and Brian Finucane of the War Powers Resolution as it relates to the vessel strikes and Venezuela. 

January 7 – War powers resolution introduced in the House

• Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced a war powers resolution that “directs the President to remove United States Armed Forces from Venezuela, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization for use of military force.”

• Note: On Jan. 22, the House defeated the resolution in a tie vote of 215-215, with two Republicans joining the Democrats in supporting the measure.

January 7 – Trump speaks by phone with Colombia’s president

• Trump spoke with Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Trump later stated that the call was to “explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements we’ve had” and that he “appreciated his [Petro’s] call and tone.”
• Note: On Jan. 4, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One: “Colombia is very sick, too, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States and he’s not going to be doing it very long.”

January 7 – Secretary of State Rubio and Secretary of Defense Hegseth brief U.S. lawmakers on U.S. operations in Venezuela

• Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine,  CIA director John Ratcliffe, and Attorney General Pam Bondi were also present at the briefing.

• Rubio reportedly provided lawmakers a three-phase plan for Venezuela that involved stabilizing and rebuilding the country, taking and selling its oil, and installing a new government there. Lawmakers in attendance claimed that Hegseth did not clarify how long the deployment of military assets to the Caribbean would persist. In a press conference later the same day, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that it was “too early” to discuss a timetable for elections in Venezuela.
• Note: On the same day, a group of Democratic senators sent a letter to U.S. oil executives, asking them to disclose all meetings with administration officials in which they discussed Venezuelan oil. The letter stated: “We would like to know the extent to which U.S. oil and gas companies such as yours had either advance knowledge of or the ability to shape American foreign policy decisions — especially given that Congress was kept in the dark concerning the use of force until after the strikes occurred.”

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (UK, Russia, China): January 7 – The United Kingdom confirms its support of the U.S. seizure of Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera; Russia and China react

• The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed it provided “enabling support” to the U.S. during its operation to seize the Marinera tanker, including pre-planned operational assistance, basing for U.S. military assets, and surveillance activity carried out by the Royal Air Force. The New York Times reported Britain “took the action because the vessel was sanctioned by the U.S. under its measures against Iran.” 
• In a Jan. 7 statement, Russia’s Ministry of Transport said “in accordance with the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states.” The Russian Foreign Ministry called on the United States to “ensure humane and dignified treatment” of Russian citizens on board the seized oil tanker. 
• In a press conference the same day, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning called the U.S. seizure of oil “bullying [that] seriously breaches international law” and reiterated China’s stance that Venezuela has “full and permanent sovereignty over its natural resources and all economic activities.”

January 7 – U.S. apprehends two “ghost fleet” oil tankers—a “stateless” oil tanker in international waters and a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic 

• The U.S. Coast Guard boarded and seized the Marinera, also known as M/V Bella 1, a Russian-flagged oil tanker, in the North Atlantic after a roughly two-week pursuit. The tanker was seized for violations of U.S. sanctions, pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court, as reported by U.S. European Command on X. Multiple U.S. officials reported that Russia asked the U.S. to stop pursuing the vessel, and sent a submarine and other naval assets to escort the tanker. 
• In a January 7 post and accompanying video on X, U.S. Southern Command announced the seizure of M/T Sophia, a “stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker.” The tanker was apprehended near the Caribbean Sea by the Department of Defense in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security for “conducting illicit activity in the Caribbean Sea.” The U.S. Coast Guard escorted  M/T Sophia to the U.S. for “final disposition.” According to a U.S. official, the tanker was falsely flying a Cameroonian flag. 
• According to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on X, “Both vessels—the Motor Tanker Bella I and the Motor Taker [sic] Sophia—were either last docked in Venezuela or en route to it.” The post was accompanied by a video. 
• Note-1: These were the third and fourth oil tankers linked to Venezuela intercepted since the start of December 2025, following U.S. operations on December 10 and 20.
• Note-2: See Dec. 31 entry for the Russian flagging of the Marinera. According to the New York Times, a second tanker operating in Venezuela, the Hyperion, made a similar change that week. At least three additional oil tankers that operated in Venezuelan waters similarly switched to Russian flags. 
• Note: Readers may be interested in analysis on the seizure of these vessels in the Just Security collection. 

January 6 – Trump announces that U.S. will extract 30-50 million barrels of sanctioned oil from Venezuela

• In a social media post, Trump stated that the oil would be “sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” On the following day, Venezuela’s state-run oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, confirmed that it was negotiating the sale of crude oil to the United States.
• At a conference on Jan. 7, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that he was working with the Venezuelan government to ensure the U.S. receives Venezuelan oil, the proceeds from which will be deposited into U.S. government-controlled accounts. He further stated: “We need to have that leverage and that control of those oil sales to drive the changes that simply must happen in Venezuela.”
• A U.S. Department of Energy statement claimed that oil would be transported from Venezuela “through legitimate and authorized channels consistent with U.S. law and national security” and that the U.S. would “selectively roll[ ] back sanctions to enable the transport and sale of Venezuelan crude and oil products to global markets.”
• Note: In reaction to the statement, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) stated in a Jan. 7 Senate hearing: “The president cannot grab Venezuela’s oil for his own slush fund.” On the same day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated controlling Venezuelan oil provided “tremendous leverage” for the United States.

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (United Nations): January 5 – U.N. Security Council holds emergency meeting

• See U.S. Allies and Adversaries’ Reactions to Operation Absolute Resolve to Capture Maduro: UN Security Council Emergency Meeting

January 5 – Trump provides War Powers Report to Congress on the January 3 operation

• The report states that “the Armed Forces of the US conducted targeted and limited military strikes within the territory of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela” and claimed these strikes were “in furtherance of the… apprehension, arrest, and transfer to the United States of [Maduro]”.
• The report further claims that the president’s actions were “consistent with [his] responsibility to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad; to take care that the laws are faithfully executed; to conduct the foreign relations of the United States” and “pursuant to [his] constitutional authority… as Commander in Chief and the Chief Executive.”
• Note: Readers may be interested in analysis of the report in the Just Security Collection. 

January 5 – Maduro appears in U.S. federal court and pleads not guilty to drug and weapons-related charges

• During the hearing on Jan. 5, Maduro asserted that he was “still the president of [his] country” and that he was a “prisoner of war” who had been “kidnapped.” His lawyer claimed that due to Maduro’s role as head of a sovereign government, he is “entitled to the privileges and immunities that go with that office” and that there were “questions about the legality of his military abduction.”
• Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, also appeared in federal court and similarly pleaded not guilty to all four charges brought against her.

January 3 – President Trump claims the U.S. will temporarily “run” Venezuela

• In a press conference, President Trump claimed “we [the United States] will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.” Trump stated that the U.S. military was prepared to conduct a second attack if necessary to facilitate these actions, and that he was willing to put “boots on the ground” in support of this plan.
• In response to press questions, Trump suggested that Venezuela would be administered “for a period of time” by U.S. elected officials such as Secretary of Defense Hegseth and Secretary of State Rubio, who would later “designate” persons to lead the country in the near future. Trump claimed that Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s Vice President who remains in Venezuela and has been sworn in as acting president, has “no choice” but to cooperate with U.S. strategy, and stated that Secretary of State Rubio had previously spoken to her and received her assurance that she would do “whatever the U.S. asks.” Trump declined to affirm that the U.S. government would seek to include opposition leader Maria Corina Machado in the future administration of Venezuela, claiming that she “didn’t have the support.”
• Trump further stated that U.S. oil companies would “fix the badly broken oil infrastructure and begin making money for” Venezuela through “selling large amounts of oil to other countries.” He said the proceeds of oil sales would go to “persons within the country of Venezuela and outside” as well as to the United States as “reparations.” Secretary of Defense Hegseth later referred to “getting back the oil that was stolen from us.” 
• It is reported that no oil facilities were damaged in the U.S. strikes.

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (China, Russia, Iran, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, Panama, France, EU, United Nations, Spain): January 3 – Multiple countries react to news of U.S. operations in Venezuela and capture of Maduro

• The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that it is “deeply shocked and strongly condemns the U.S. for recklessly using force against a sovereign state and targeting its president,” claiming that the U.S. military actions “seriously violate international law, violate Venezuela’s sovereignty, and threaten the peace and security of Latin America and the Caribbean.” Russia said in a statement that “Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own future without destructive external interference, particularly of a military nature,” and offered to assist in dialogue between the U.S. and Venezuela. The Iranian Foreign Ministry described the U.S. action as “a gross violation of the country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Brazilian President Luis Inacio da Silva stated the strikes and capture “cross an unacceptable line” and “represent a grave affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty.” Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel posted on X that the attack constituted “state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people and against Our America,” against the 2014 U.N. Declaration signed in Cuba that designated Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.
• Multiple countries alluded to the strikes’ violation or potential violation of the U.N. Charter and international law prohibitions on the use of force and violation of territorial integrity (including Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, and Chile). 
• In contrast, Argentine President Javier Milei said in on X that “The time to have a timid approach on this subject has passed.” 
• Ecuadorian President Gabriel Noboa responded to the strike and capture by stating “[t]he time is coming for all the narco-Chavista criminals … To Corina Machado [Venezuelan opposition leader], Edmundo Gonzalez, and the Venezuelan people: it is time to reclaim your country. You have an ally in Ecuador.” 
• Panamanian President Jose Raul shared a statement on X in favor of “democratic trials” and “the legitimate wishes of the Venezuelan people, as expressed at the polls, where Edmundo Gonzalez was elected.” 
• French President Emmanuel Macron recognized Venezuelan opposition politician Gonzalez as the elected leader, stating on X, “The Venezuelan people are today rid of Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorship and can only rejoice… we wish that President Gonzalez … can swiftly ensure this [democratic] transition.”
• The U.N. secretary-general’s office issued a statement claiming “The Secretary-General is deeply alarmed by the recent escalation in Venezuela, culminating with today’s United States military action in the country, which has potential worrying implications for the region … He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected.” 

January 3 – Attorney General Bondi announces indictment of Venezuelan President and First Lady on drug-trafficking charges

• AG Pam Bondi claimed in a post on X that Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife had been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges of “Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States.” The unsealed indictments each contain four charges, including conspiracy to import cocaine and possession of machine guns in relation to this conspiracy, and name four other defendants, including Venezuelan Minister of the Interior Diosado Cabello Rondon, former Minister of the Interior Ramon Rodriguez Chacin, President Maduro’s son and Venezuelan politician Nicolás Maduro Guerra, and Tren de Aragua leader Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores. Despite prior Department of State and OFAC designations of Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist group, the 2025 indictments do not restate the 2020 indictment claims that the organization is a “terrorist group” led by Maduro but rather refer to it as a patronage system that Maduro participated in. 
• In a press conference, Trump stated that Maduro is facing charges in U.S. federal court for “personally oversee[ing] Cartel de los Soles” and stated that Maduro and his wife were on a ship headed to New York. Immediately prior to the conference, Trump posted a picture on Truth Social that he claimed was of Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima. In the same briefing, Rubio reiterated his prior statements that the United States has not recognizedMaduro as the legitimate leader of Venezuela and stated that the operation was “largely a law-enforcement operation” and “at its core, an arrest of two fugitives of American justice.”
• Note: Maduro had previously been indicted by a federal grand jury in 2020 on charges of “narco-terrorism,” conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
• Note: In August 2024, Trump offered a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest on drug-smuggling charges.

January 3 – President Trump says U.S. forces carried out strike on Caracas facility and captured Venezuelan President Maduro

• On Jan. 3, Trump announced  that U.S. forces took President Maduro and his wife into custody and exfiltrated them out of Venezuela, following a series of strikes on Caracas, Fort Tiuna military facilities and airport areas, and the coastal states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira. The operation to capture Maduro was carried out by U.S. special mission unit Delta Force. Reportedly, the CIA received assistance from a source within the Venezuelan government to track Maduro’s location, and U.S. cyber units conducted an attack that caused widespread power outages in the country. Venezuela’s interior minister has stated the U.S. attack has left at least 100 people dead and others injured, including the  deaths of 32 Cuban security personnel.
• Seven U.S. servicemembers were reportedly injured in the course of the combat. 
• Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine said the operation, titled “Absolute Resolve,” involved all military branches and the Intelligence Community, as well as 150 aircraft from 20 different bases under U.S. Southern Command control and that U.S. forces conducted multiple “self-defense engagements” in the process of withdrawing from Venezuelan territory.
• Trump stated that the new U.S. military doctrine in the region would reflect the prior “Monroe Doctrine” that asserted U.S. dominance within the Western Hemisphere. 
• Venezuela’s Defense Minister said the strike amounted to an invasion and called on Venezuelan citizens to “mobilize to defeat this imperialist aggression.” The Venezuelan government requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, stating that it “rejects, repudiates and denounces before the international community the very serious military aggression perpetrated by the current Government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory.” Russia and China supported the request.
• Following the strike, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado shared a written statement on X captioned “Venezuelans, the time of freedom has arrived.” She stated “[g]iven [Maduro’s] refusal to accept a negotiated exit, the government of the United States has fulfilled its promise to enforce the law” and called for Edmundo González, the Venezuelan opposition party candidate in the most recent elections, to “immediately” take office.
• Note: Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) condemned the strikes, saying in a post on X: “We have no vital national interests in Venezuela to justify war.” Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) stated “​​Trump rejected our Constitutionally required approval process for armed conflict because the Administration knows the American people overwhelmingly reject risks pulling our nation into another war.” House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) stated that Rubio had previously denied multiple times before members of Congress that the U.S. had plans for military attacks on Venezuela ahead of the January 3 attacks. In a press conference on Jan. 3, Secretary of State Rubio claimed that “this was not the kind of mission that you can do congressional notification on” beforehand and stated that members of Congress were only notified following the attacks.
• Note: Readers may be interested in analysis of the domestic and international legal issues involved in Operation Absolute Resolve in the Just Security collection.

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (Russia): On or before December 31 – Russia lists Bella 1 in official database of flagged vessels

• On or before December 31, Russia states that the Bella 1 is now registered as the Marinera, flying the Russian flag and with a home port of Sochi
• Note: See December 20 entry for U.S. Coast Guard pursuit of Bella 1.

THIRTY-FOURTH AND THIRTY-FIFTH STRIKE December 31 – 34th and 35th strikes on two vessels, killing five

• On December 31, at the direction of Secretary of Defense Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted successive strikes on two vessels “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” and “transiting along known narco-trafficking routes” in an unnamed body of water. According to a post on X by U.S. Southern Command, the strikes killed three people aboard the first vessel and two people aboard the second vessel, totaling five killed.

THIRTY-FIRST, THIRTY-SECOND, AND THIRTY-THIRD STRIKE December 30 – The 31st, 32nd and 33rd strikes on three vessels, killing at least three

• On December 30, at the direction of Secretary of Defense Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted successive strikes on three vessels “traveling as a convoy” and operated by “Designated Terrorist Organizations.” Unlike prior strike announcements, the announcement of the strikes noted that the vessels were in “international waters” and “transiting along known narco-trafficking routes” but did not specify the body of water in which the attacks occurred. The announcement also stated that the three vessels had “transferred narcotics between [themselves] prior to the strikes.”
• According to a post on X by U.S. Southern Command, the first strike killed three people aboard one vessel, while the occupants of the other vessels jumped overboard before strikes sunk the remaining two vessels. SOUTHCOM thereafter notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue System for the reported eight potential survivors. The U.S. Coast Guard issued a statement that it “is coordinating search and rescue operations with vessels in the area” and that “a Coast Guard C-130 aircraft is en route to provide further search coverage with the ability to drop a survival raft and supplies.”

THIRTIETH STRIKE December 29 – 30th strike on one vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two

• On December 29, at the direction of Secretary of Defense Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people aboard, according to a post on X by U.S. Southern Command. 

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (Russia): December 25 – Russia criticizes U.S. actions to blockade Venezuela

• At a December 25 press conference, in response to a question about U.S. action to blockade Venezuela, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated, “Today we are witnessing complete lawlessness in the Caribbean Sea, where long-forgotten theft of other people’s property, namely piracy, and banditry, are being revived.” She stated that Russia would “consistently advocate for a de-escalation.”
• The Foreign Ministry spokesperson further stated, “We confirm our support for the efforts of the government of Nicolas Maduro aimed at protecting sovereignty and national interests, and maintaining the stable and secure development of his country.”

On or about December 24 – CIA conducts drone strikes on port facility in Venezuela

• According to sources within the U.S. government, the CIA conducted a drone strike on a port facility within Venezuela likely on December 24, the first known American operation inside Venezuelan territory. The strike reportedly occurred on a dock where U.S. officials believed Tren de Aragua, a designated cartel, was storing narcotics, and did not cause any fatalities.

• Note: In a phone interview on December 26, President Trump first revealed the strikes, stating, “We just knocked out — I don’t know if you read or you saw — they have a big plant or big facility where they send the, you know, where the ships come from … Two nights ago we knocked that out. So we hit them very hard.” He further stated in an interview on December 29 that “there was a major explosion in the dock area, where they load the boats up with drugs.”

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (United Nations): December 24 – UN experts issue statement condemning US naval blockade of Venezuela

• On December 24, four UN experts – Ben Saul, UN special rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights; George Katrougalos, independent expert on international order; Surya Deva, UN special rapporteur on right to development; and Gina Romero, special rapporteur on the right to peaceful assembly and association – issued a joint statement condemning the US naval blockade of Venezuela.
• The statement contended that the use of military force to blockade another country is prohibited by the UN Charter. The experts further stated that the blockade constituted an armed attack – which would provide Venezuela a right of self-defense – and “such a serious use of force that it is also expressly recognised as illegal armed aggression.” They called on States to engage in “collective action” to uphold international law.

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (United Nations and Member States): December 23 – UN Security Council holds emergency meeting over U.S. seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers (UN video)

• In an introduction, UN Assistant Secretary General Khaled Khiari reiterated an October 31 statement made by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk that ​​“the airstrikes by the [United States] on boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific — allegedly linked to drug-trafficking — violate international human-rights law.” He called for “prompt, independent and transparent investigations” (full statement).
• Venezuelan ambassador Samuel Moncada stated, “The world knows that, if the scale of armed attacks continues, we will exercise, with all determination, our inalienable right to self-defence.”
• In response, U.S. ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz opened his statement saying, “the United States does not recognize Nicolas Maduro or his cronies as the legitimate government of Venezuela.” He stated that “sanctioned oil tankers operate as the primary economic lifeline for Maduro and his illegitimate regime.” He added, “One has to ask: why have sanctions either bilaterally, unilaterally, or backed by the international community – if they are not enforced? Well, the United States, under President Trump is enforcing them in international waters” (full statement).
• Brazil stated, “The aforementioned military force maintained by the United States off the coast of Venezuela and the recently declared naval blockade are violations of the UN Charter. Therefore, it should cease immediately and unconditionally in favor of the use of political and legal instruments that are broadly available.” 
• Denmark stated that it “underscores the importance of preserving the Caribbean as a ‘Zone of Peace,’” and “strongly urges all parties to strictly adhere to international law” and that “differences must be resolved through peaceful means, diplomacy, and political solutions.” South Korea, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Sierra Leone, and Algeria also emphasized the region’s status of Zone of Peace.
• South Korea also stated, “The need to address transnational organized crime, including drug trafficking, is an issue the international community cannot ignore. At the same time, respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, as well as protection of civilians remain core values that the United Nations Charter seeks to uphold.” The South Korean representative also emphasized the need for non-military means to address the issue.
• Russia’s representative stated, “The acts by the US side run counter to all key norms of international law including the UN Convention on Law of the Sea, [previous] Security Council resolutions and the [UN] Charter.”
• China’s representative similarly stated, “We stand against any move that violates the purposes and principles of the UN charter and infringes upon other countries’ sovereignty and security; against the threat or use of force in international relations; against external interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs under any pretext, and against illicit unilateral sanctions and long armed jurisdiction that have no basis in international law or authorization by the Security Council.”
• France stated, “France has been closely monitoring the developments transpiring in the region specifically in the wake of President Donald Trump’s announcements related to Venezuelan airspace and the naval blockade against oil tankers under sanction, which are entering and exiting Venezuela. We call for avoidance of all escalation that may threaten peace and security in the region and beyond. As always, we recall our commitment to respect for international law and in particular the Charter of the United Nations. The principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of States must be upheld. International disputes must always be resolved peacefully in accordance with Article 2, paragraph 3 of the charter. We support the Secretary General’s call for restraint and immediate deescalation as well as his offer of good offices. We extend our support as well for the mediation proposals emanating from States in the region who may contribute. President, combating narcotics trafficking needs to be done in accordance with international law, in particular the Charter of the United Nations, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and various international conventions on drug control, specifically the United Nations Convention against Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances dating 1988, which sets out the relevant framework of action against illicit trafficking at sea.”
• Mexico stated: “The recent escalation of tensions and the deployment of military forces in the south of the Caribbean sea represent actions that put at risk regional stability.” He also spoke against the threat or use of force.
• Chile stated that although her government “does not recognize the legitimacy of the current regime led by Mr. Nicolás Maduro,” Chile rejects any armed activity that could put at risk regional peace and stability. The representative stated, “Chile would like to express its profound concern regarding the deployment of military action in the Caribbean,” referencing the need to comply with international law.
• Sierra Leone stated, “Without prejudging the facts, we emphasize a general point of law. When States respond to transnational challenges, whether illicit trafficking, organized crime or terrorism, those responses must remain consistent with the Charter and other applicable rules of international law, including relevant maritime rules and international human rights law. In that regard, Sierra Leone also recalls that outside a situation of armed conflict, the use of lethal force is subject to strict constraint under international human rights law, including the protection of the right to life. As a general principle, operations of a  law enforcement character should seek wherever feasible to intercept and bring suspects to justice through due process. Reports that suggest loss of life in circumstances that may not meet the strict requirement of necessity and proportionality understandably raises serious legal questions.”
• Greece, Pakistan, and Somalia cautioned against escalation that could spread instability across the region, and called for the peaceful resolution of disputes.
• See also the full statement by the United Kingdom.
• Note: Venezuela requested a meeting of the Security Council on December 17, the day following President Trump’s order of a “blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (Russia, China): December 22 – Russia and China express concern over U.S. interception of oil tanker off Venezuelan coast

• Following the United States’ interception of the Centuries, a China-bound oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on December 20, on December 22, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that the interception as well as “unilateral and illegal” sanctions violated international law and asserted that Venezuela had the right to develop relations with other countries.
• On the same day, Russia’s foreign minister issued a joint statement with Venezuela’s foreign minister expressing “deep concern over the escalation of Washington’s actions in the Caribbean Sea, which could have serious consequences for the region and threaten international shipping.” 

December 22 – U.S. deploys aircraft designed to transport special-operations forces, troops and equipment in Caribbean

• On December 22, Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft used to transport special forces and cargo planes arrived in Puerto Rico, within SOUTHCOM’s area of responsibility. 
• On the same day, in an interview with reporters, President Trump stated, “We have a massive armada for him [Venezuelan President Maduro]. The biggest we’ve ever had and by the far the biggest we’ve ever had in South America.”

TWENTY-NINTH STRIKE December 22 – 29th strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing one total

• On December 22, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a strike on “a low-profile vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in international waters, killing one person aboard, according to a statement by U.S. Southern Command. 

December 20 – U.S. Coast Guard pursues Venezuela-linked oil tanker in international waters 

• As of December 20, the U.S. Coast Guard was actively pursuing in the Caribbean Sea the Bella 1, an oil tanker en route to pick up oil from Venezuela. U.S. officials said the vessel was not flying a valid flag when the Coast Guard approached it late on Dec. 20. U.S. officials told press the Coast Guard had obtained a judicial seizure warrant and pursued the tanker after it did not submit to being boarded. The tanker reportedly was under U.S. sanctions since last year for transporting Iranian oil. 
• Note-1: This would be the third oil tanker linked to Venezuela intercepted since the start of December, following U.S. operations on Dec. 10 and 20.
• Note-2: See December 31 entry for Russian flagging this vessel.

December 20 – U.S. Coast Guard boards tanker carrying Venezuelan oil in Caribbean Sea

• On December 20, the U.S. Coast Guard, with support from DOD, stopped and boarded the Centuries, a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker carrying Venezuelan oil in the Caribbean Sea. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem posted a video of the operation on X, saying the tanker was last docked in Venezuela. The tanker’s cargo reportedly belongs to a China-based oil trader with a history of taking Venezuelan oil to refineries in China.
• Note: A U.S. official told the New York Times that U.S. authorities did not have a seizure warrant to take possession of the vessel, and said that the Coast Guard was trying to ascertain if the tanker’s Panama registration was valid. The tanker was not at the time on the Treasury Department’s sanctions list.

December 19 – Trump nominates new head of SOUTHCOM

• On December 19, the Department of Defense announced that President Trump had nominated Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Francis L. Donovan to head U.S. SOUTHCOM after the previous commander, Adm. Alvin Holsey retired on December 12.
• Note: The New York Times reported that, according to current and former U.S. officials, previous commander Adm. Holsey had voiced concerns over boat strikes in past months. However, there was no official reason given for Adm. Holsey’s retirement.

TWENTY-SEVENTH AND TWENTY-EIGHTH STRIKES December 18 – 27th and 28th strikes on two boats in the eastern Pacific, killing five total

• On December 18, Joint Task Force “Southern Spear” conducted two strikes on vessels that it stated were “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in international waters, according to a statement by U.S. Southern Command. The first strike killed three in the first vessel, and the second killed two in the second vessel, totaling five killed. 

TWENTY-SIXTH STRIKE December 17 – 26th strike on one vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing four

• On December 17, Joint Task Force “Southern Spear” conducted a strike on a vessel that it stated was “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in international waters, killing four people aboard, according to a statement by U.S. Southern Command.

December 17 – Proposed war powers resolutions fail to reach the Senate floor

• The first measure (H.Con.Res.61), introduced on Nov. 17 by lead sponsor House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-NY), failed in a vote of 210-216. The mostly party-lines vote had the support of Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Don Bacon (R-NE). Pursuant to the War Powers Resolution section 5(c), the legislation would have directed the President to “remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with any presidentially designated terrorist organization in the Western Hemisphere, unless authorized by a declaration of war or a specific congressional authorization for use of military force against such presidentially designated terrorist organization.” 
• The second measure (H.Con.Res.64), introduced on Dec. 1 by lead sponsor Jim McGovern (D-MA), failed in a vote of 211-213. It  had the support of Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). The legislation would have directed the “removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Venezuela” in the absence of congressional authorization. 

December 16 – Trump announced a “complete blockade” of U.S. sanctioned oil tankers going to and from Venezuela

• On Dec. 16, Trump said in a post on social media that he ordered a “complete blockade” on all sanctioned oil tankers going to and from Venezuela. He wrote, “Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us.”
• Note: On Dec. 10, U.S. forces seized an oil tanker, the Skipper, off the coast of Venezuela, in a law enforcement action aimed at enforcing existing U.S. sanctions on the tanker. (See entry for Dec. 10)

December 16 – Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth give classified bipartisan briefings to House and Senate

On Dec. 16, Secretary of State Rubio and Secretary of Defense Hegseth provided classified briefings to the full House and Senate on the strikes. Hegseth reportedly declined to show members the video of the Sep. 2 operation that included a second strike, killing survivors of the initial strike on the boat, calling it “top-secret,” but planned to show the video to members of House and Senate national security focused committees, given its level of classification. Members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committee were shown the full video on Dec. 17.

TWENTY-THIRD, TWENTY-FOURTH, AND TWENTY-FIFTH STRIKES: December 15 – 23rd, 24th, and 25th strikes on three vessels in the eastern Pacific, killing eight total 

• On December 15, Joint Task Force “Southern Spear” conducted three strikes on vessels “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” in international waters, according to a statement by U.S. Southern Command. The first strike killed three in the first vessel, the second killed two in the second vessel, and the third killed three in the third vessel, totaling eight killed. In a social media post accompanying a video, U.S. Southern Command stated, “Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking.”

December 11 – U.S. announces sanctions on Venezuelan oil industry and members of Maduro’s family

• On Dec. 11, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced new sanctions on “three nephews of Maduro’s wife; a Maduro-affiliated businessman; and six shipping companies operating in Venezuela’s oil sector.” The Treasury statement also identified six already-sanctioned vessels that continue to provide shipping and financial resources to Maduro’s regime and announced stricter sanctions enforcement measures on those vessels.

December 10 – U.S. forces seize oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela

• On Dec. 10, U.S. forces seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, reportedly following its transfer of about 50,000 barrels of oil to Cuba. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted a video of the operation on social media and stated, “For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.” The Coast Guard seized the vessel pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. court on Nov. 26.
• Venezuela’s Communications Minister called the seizure an example of the United States’ “piracy, kidnapping, theft of private property, [and] extrajudicial executions in international waters.”

December 7 – Provision that would restrict Secretary Hegseth’s travel budget unless boat strike evidence is disclosed included in amendments to the annual defense authorization bill 

• A provision was included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 (House Amendment to S.1071), released December 7, to limit Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s travel budget for fiscal year 2026. The funds would be cut to “not more than” 75% until Hegseth releases specified orders behind the strikes and “provides to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate unedited video of strikes conducted against designated terrorist organizations in the area of responsibility of the United States Southern Command.”
• Note: The legislation was signed into law on Dec. 18.

TWENTY-SECOND STRIKE: December 4 – 22nd strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing four

• On December 4, Joint Task Force “Southern Spear” conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization” in the eastern Pacific Ocean at the direction of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. In a social media post, the Southern Command stated that “the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics and transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific.”

December 3 – Family of Colombian fisherman killed in September 15 strike file complaint with Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

• The family of Colombian fisherman Alejandro Carranza, who was allegedly killed in the Trump administration’s second strike on a vessel on September 15, filed a formal complaint with the Inter-American Commission, requesting the body to investigate and issue a finding that the order from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to bomb the vessel was an extrajudicial killing in violation of Carranza’s human rights.

November 29 – Trump declares Venezuelan airspace closed

• In a social media post, Trump declared the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela “closed in its entirety,” escalating tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela. Caracas responded in an official statement, calling Trump’s comments a “colonialist threat that seeks to undermine the sovereignty of [Venezuela’s] airspace, constituting a new extravagant, illegal, and unjustified aggression against the people of Venezuela.”
• Note: See November 22 entry on three international airlines having cancelled flights to and from Venezuela upon reports of “new phase” of operations.

November 28 – House and Senate begin inquiries into alleged September 2 double-tap strike

• The House and the Senate have reportedly begun separate investigations into the Sept. 2 incident.
• Note: See Just Security’s Unlawful Orders and Killing Shipwrecked Boat Strike Survivors: An Expert Backgrounder for more information and analysis.

November 27 – Trump suggests land strikes in Venezuelan territory would start “soon”

• On a Thanksgiving call to service members, Trump noted that “You probably noticed that people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.”

November 24 – 13 Democratic Senators write letter to AG Bondi and Secretary Hegseth requesting the declassification and public release of the DOJ OLC written opinion on the strikes

• The letter was signed by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Angus King (I-ME), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).
• The letter requested the text of the reported September 5 OLC opinion “concerning the domestic and international legal basis for recent military strikes of certain vessels near South America and the Caribbean, with appropriate redactions necessary to protect military personnel and sensitive intelligence matters.” It further noted: “Few decisions are more consequential for a democracy than the use of lethal force. We therefore believe that the declassification and public release of this important document would enhance transparency in the use of deadly force by our Nation’s military and is necessary to ensure Congress and the American people are fully informed of the legal justification supporting these strikes.”

November 24 – U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, reportedly visits Puerto Rico and a Navy warship deployed in the Caribbean 

• The stated reason for the trip by General Caine is to thank troops ahead of Thanksgiving, but military officials reported that the general was expected to consult with commanders on preparations related to Operation Southern Spear.

November 22 – U.S. reportedly to launch “new phase” of Venezuelan operations

• According to sources from within the U.S. government speaking on the condition of anonymity, the Trump administration plans on commencing a new phase of Venezuelan operations, involving additional covert operations and a potential plan to overthrow Venezuelan President Maduro.
• Note: On November 21, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned major airlines of a “potentially hazardous situation” when flying over Venezuela. Three international airlines have since cancelled flights to and from Venezuela.
• Note: During the previous week, Trump and Maduro reportedly spoke over the phone to discuss a potential face-to-face meeting in the United States, although no meeting was scheduled.

November 20 – U.S. Air Force conducts “bomber attack demo” near Venezuela in “support” of Operation Southern Spear

• In a November 21 post on X, the Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) Air Forces announced that on November 20, they conducted a military demonstration, involving an overflight of a supersonic F/A-18E fighter jet, B-52 strategic bombers and KC-135 support aircraft, in support of Operation Southern Spear. According to media reviews of open-source flight data, the F/A-18E flew from the USS Gerald Ford, which arrived in the Caribbean earlier this week, and RC-185 reconnaissance aircraft additionally joined the overflight.
• An Air Force social media post claimed the military demonstration “showcase[d] our vow to deter illicit drug networks & defend the homeland.”
• Note: The U.S. military had been conducting training missions near Venezuela in the air and at sea over the prior few weeks. The missions began in mid-October and have involved activity from both B-52s and supersonic B-1 heavy bombers.

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (China): November 19 – China condemns U.S. action to “interfere” in Venezuelan “internal affairs”

• At a press briefing in Beijing on November 19, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that “China opposes any moves that violate the premises and principles of the U.N. Charter and other countries’ sovereignty and security.” Mao further criticized what she described as the U.S.’s outside involvement in Venezuela’s domestic politics, stating that China opposed “the interference of external forces in Venezuela’s internal affairs and any pretext.”

November 18 – Trump authorizes additional CIA covert action in Venezuela while reopening backchannel negotiations with Caracas

• As of November 18, Trump had reportedly authorized additional CIA covert action in Venezuela. As the administration’s pressure campaign on the Maduro government intensifies, Trump also reportedly reopened backchannel negotiations with President Maduro that he had cut off in October.
• Note: Trump publicly confirmed an initial presidential finding authorizing CIA covert action against Venezuela on October 15. He has reportedly still not ruled out ground forces entering Venezuelan territory and has not publicly commented on his preferred course of action.

November 18 – Members of the House of Representatives introduce resolution under the War Powers Resolution to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with DTOs in the Western Hemisphere

• On November 18, House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gergory Meeks (D-NY) and five other House Democrats introduced a resolution (H.Con.Res.61), pursuant to the War Powers Resolution, directing the President to “remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with any presidentially designated terrorist organization in the Western Hemisphere, unless authorized by a declaration of war or a specific congressional authorization for use of military force against such presidentially designated terrorist organization.” 
• Ranking Member Meeks described the strike campaign as the “worst excesses of the war of drugs and the war on terror.”
• Note: The House resolution comes after two failed similar Senate resolutions. The sponsors are likely to attempt to force a vote on the House Floor in the coming weeks.

November 17 – Trump states that he would be open to strikes in Mexico to “stop drugs”

• On November 17, in an interview in the Oval Office, Trump, when asked if he would launch strikes in Mexico or deploy American troops to the country, stated: “It’s okay with me, whatever we have to do to stop drugs.”
• Trump said he would “probably” go to Congress for approval of military strikes in Mexico, though he did not do so before ordering strikes off the coast of Venezuela.

November 16 – Trump states in interview that the U.S. may enter into discussions with Venezuela

• On November 16, in response to questions by reporters, Trump stated that he would consider entering into discussions with Venezuelan President Maduro, claiming that Venezuela “would like to talk.” Trump stated: “We may be having some discussions with Maduro, and we’ll see how that turns out.”
• Note: On the same day, Secretary of State Rubio said the Department of State would designate the Venezuelan group it has termed “Cartel de los Soles” as a “foreign terrorist organization.” Previously, the White House, in a proclamation on May 15, stated “Maduro leads the regime-sponsored enterprise Cártel de los Soles, which coordinates with and relies on TdA… to carry out its objective of using illegal narcotics as a weapon to ‘flood’ the United States”; the group was also sanctioned by OFAC in July.
• Note: When asked if the Department of State announcement means the U.S. could strike Maduro’s assets in Venezuela, Trump stated: “It allows us to do that, but we haven’t said we’re going to do that.”

TWENTY-FIRST STRIKE: November 15 – 21st strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three

• On November 15, Joint Task Force “Southern Spear” conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization” in the eastern Pacific Ocean at the direction of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
• U.S. Southern Command stated that “[i]ntelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics.” U.S. Southern Command further stated that “3 male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed.”

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (Mexico): November 13 – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a U.S.-Mexico agreement for Mexico to interdict alleged drug-running boats

• President Sheinbaum said “There are joint protocols for operations in international waters to prevent the use of bombings against vessels and to ensure compliance with all international treaties. What the [Mexican] Secretary of the Navy proposed was simply that those treaties be respected, and in principle, they agreed. . . . If information comes from U.S. agencies or from Southern Command itself, it will be the Mexican Navy that intercepts those vessels allegedly carrying drugs.”
• Reportedly under the new agreement, Mexico’s Navy will be responsible for intercepting vessels in international waters near the Mexican coastline to prevent further bombings.

November 13 – U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announces Operation Southern Spear

• Secretary of Defense Hegseth specified the operation would be “[l]ed by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and @SOUTHCOM [U.S. Southern Command]” for the purpose of “defend[ing] our Homeland, remov[ing] narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secur[ing] our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people.”
• The announcement builds on a January 2025 mission under the same name. In that January 28 announcement, U.S. Navy Commander Foster Edwards stated “Southern Spear will operationalize a heterogeneous mix of Robotic and Autonomous Systems (RAS) to support the detection and monitoring of illicit trafficking while learning lessons for other theaters[.]”

November 12 – Trump reportedly receives briefing on potential military operations in Venezuela

• According to CBS, on November 12, Secretary of Defense Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, and other senior military officials conducted a briefing in the White House informing Trump of potential military operations in relation to Venezuela, including the possibility of land strikes.

November 11 –  As U.S. carrier arrives in Latin America, Venezuela mobilizes military

• According to a U.S. Navy press statement, on November 11, the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group entered the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility, introducing more than 4,000 U.S. troops and dozens of tactical aircraft into the region. The carrier group’s shift from its prior position in the Mediterranean sea to the Caribbean follows an order from Secretary of Defense Hegseth on October 24 stating the need to “augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle TCOs.” (See October 24 entry.)
• Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell stated in a press statement about the carrier group’s arrival: “These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations.”
• Note: On the same day, Venezuela’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López reportedly announced a militarization of “ground, aerial, naval, riverine, and missile forces,” putting the “entire country’s military arsenal on full operational readiness.” Padrino López framed the mobilization as a response to the “imperialist threat” posed by U.S. strikes. Venezuela’s military conducted large-scale command, control, and communications exercises between November 11-12, reportedly involving around 200,000 forces.

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (France, European Union): November 11 – French Foreign Minister and EU foreign policy chief question the legality of U.S. strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific under international law 

• On the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Ontario, Canada, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said “We have observed with concern the military operations in the Caribbean region, because they violate international law and because France has a presence in this region through its overseas territories, where more than a million of our compatriots reside[.]” 
• EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reportedly said on the sidelines of the same meeting that the strikes could only be justified as self-defense or by a UN Security Council resolution. Kallas noted in an NBC interview on November 12 that the G7 ministers were discussing changing international law because “the countries are all struggling” with drug gangs in the region.

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (Colombia): November 11 – Colombia suspends intelligence sharing with United States

• In a post on X, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said: “All levels of law enforcement intelligence are ordered to suspend all communications and other dealings with U.S. security agencies. This measure will remain in effect as long as missile attacks on boats in the Caribbean continue. The fight against drugs must be subordinated to the human rights of the Caribbean people.”
• Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti stated in a post on X on November 13 that Colombia would “continue working as this Government has done against drug trafficking and crime with the United States,” seemingly contradicting President Petro’s earlier statements. The Colombian Defense Minister also clarified on X that Petro gave clear instructions to continue sharing information with “international agencies” to combat drug trafficking.

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (United Kingdom): November 11 – United Kingdom suspends  intelligence sharing with United States on suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean

• While the United Kingdom has not officially acknowledged this suspension, sources report that it began over a month prior to it being publicly reported. 
• Note: The U.K. has for years provided intelligence to support U.S. Coast Guard drug interdiction efforts, in addition to conducting its own counter-narcotics operations.

TWENTIETH STRIKE: November 10 – Twentieth strike, on a vessel in the Caribbean sea, killing four

• On November 10, Joint Task Force “Southern Spear” conducted a strike on a vessel “operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization” in the Caribbean Sea.
• U.S. Southern Command stated that “[i]ntelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics.” U.S. Southern Command further stated that “4 male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed.”

EIGHTEENTH AND NINETEENTH STRIKES: November 9 – Eighteenth and nineteenth strikes on vessels in the eastern Pacific, killing six

• On November 9, the U.S. military conducted two strikes on vessels “suspected of smuggling drugs” in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
• Secretary of Defense Hegseth announced the strikes in a social media post the following day, stating: “These vessels were known by our intelligence to be associated with illicit narcotics smuggling, were carrying narcotics, and were transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route in the Eastern Pacific.” He stated: “3 male narco-terrorists were aboard each vessel. All 6 were killed. No U.S. forces were harmed.”

SEVENTEENTH STRIKE: November 6 – Seventeenth strike on a vessel in the Caribbean, killing three

• On November 6, Secretary of Defense Hegseth announced a seventeenth strike on a vessel “operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization[,]” in this instance in the Caribbean. He stated, “The vessel was trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean and was struck in international waters.”
• Hegseth claimed that three “male narco-terrorists” aboard the boat died in the strike. 
• He further warned: “To all narco-terrorists who threaten our homeland: if you want to stay alive, stop trafficking drugs. If you keep trafficking deadly drugs—we will kill you.”

November 5 – Legislation proposed under War Powers Resolution to prohibit war against Venezuela fails 

• A motion to discharge the legislation (S.J. Res. 90) from the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, brought by lead sponsor Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) with the support of 17 co-sponsors, failed 49-51. All Democratic senators voted to discharge the legislation, joined by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and bill co-sponsor Senator Rand Paul (R-KY).
• If passed, the legislation would have directed “the President to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces for hostilities within or against Venezuela, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force.” Co-sponsoring Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) differentiated the resolution from the prior resolution brought on October 8 to end authorization for sea-based strikes, stating during the Senate floor hearing: “[W]hile we remain concerned about those ongoing strikes… [t]his resolution is tailor-written to stop one thing: a war with the nation of Venezuela.”

November 5 – Secretaries of State and Defense conduct a classified briefing with Senate and House lawmakers on legal justification for strikes

• The Trump administration invited around a dozen lawmakers, including the chairs of the intelligence and armed services committees in both chambers, to the briefing discussing orders and legal justifications behind prior strikes.
• Administration officials reportedly acknowledged that they do not know the individual identities of each person on board a vessel before a strike but claimed that they target vessels based on intelligence that the vessel is linked to a specific cartel or criminal organization.
• Attending Senators and Representatives were reportedly told during the classified session that the “execute order” issued by the President and the OLC opinion justifying strikes on vessels did not extend to strikes within the land territory of Venezuela. However, the OLC opinion reportedly includes a list of 24 different cartels and criminal organizations based around Latin America it claims the administration is authorized to target. Furthermore, an unnamed U.S. official stated that the Trump administration is seeking a separate legal opinion from the Justice Department that would justify launching strikes against land targets without Congress authorizing the use of military force.

SIXTEENTH STRIKE: November 4 – Sixteenth strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two

• On November 4, Secretary of Defense Hegseth announced a sixteenth strike on a vessel “operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO),” in this instance in the eastern Pacific. He stated, “Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics.”
• Hegseth claimed that two “male narco-terrorists” aboard the boat died in the strike.

November 2 – Trump states he doubts the United States will go to war with Venezuela

• In a televised interview with 60 Minutes, Trump responded to a question regarding whether the United States was going to war with Venezuela saying “I doubt it. I don’t think so.” He later declined to discuss whether he would consider potential land strikes in Venezuela.
• When asked whether the attacks were about “stopping narcotics” or “getting rid of President Maduro,” Trump responded: “This is about many things. This is a country that allowed their prisons to be emptied into our country.”

November 1 – Trump administration reportedly claims the War Powers Resolution’s 60 day termination clock does not apply

• In a briefing held between October 27-31, the official heading DOJ OLC, T. Elliot Gaiser, reportedly stated that the strikes do not rise to the level of “hostilities” that would trigger the War Powers Resolution’s (WPR) 60-day termination clock (which was set to expire on Nov. 3). An unnamed senior administration official reportedly stated that the strikes did not fall within the scope of the term “hostilities” as they were largely conducted by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and thus did not “endanger American personnel.”
• Note: This interpretation of “hostilities” is similar to that relied on in some past executive branch practice under the WPR, though neither Congress nor the courts have accepted such a narrow interpretation of the term, which is not defined in the WPR itself.

FIFTEENTH STRIKE: November 1 – Fifteenth strike on a vessel in the Caribbean, killing at least three

• Secretary of Defense Hegseth announced in a post on X a strike on a “narco-trafficking vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) in the Caribbean,” accompanied by a 17-second video of the strike. He wrote: “This vessel—like EVERY OTHER—was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics.” The strike killed at least three on board the vessel.

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (United Nations): October 31 – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says the United States “must halt” strikes on alleged drug boats to prevent “extrajudicial killing”

• The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called for an investigation into the strikes through a spokesperson’s statement in a regular briefing. He stated: “[C]ountering the serious issue of illicit trafficking of drugs across international borders is – as has long been agreed among States – a law-enforcement matter, governed by the careful limits on lethal force set out in international human rights law.”

October 31 – Senate Armed Services Committee leadership states that the DOD has refused to share information about and legal justification for strikes with Congress upon request

• Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) publicly shared two letters that they sent to Secretary of Defense Hegseth in prior weeks requesting, on September 23, a copy of the president’s orders to carry out the military strikes, and on October 6, the Department of Justice’s legal justification for the attacks and a “complete list” of designated terrorist organizations and drug trafficking organizations “with whom the president has determined the United States is in a noninternational armed conflict and against whom lethal military force may be used.” In a public statement, they claimed that the “documents had not been submitted” to this date.
• Note: On the same day, when asked by reporters on Air Force One if reports that he was considering strikes within Venezuela were true, Trump said: “No.”

October 30 – Classified House briefing on the U.S. military’s strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and in the East Pacific

• Representatives Jason Crow (D-CO) and Mike Turner (R-OH) both expressed frustration at the lack of information provided at a bipartisan House classified briefing on the U.S. military’s strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and in the East Pacific. Reportedly, the Department of Defense lawyers who were set to explain the legal rationale the administration is using to strike the vessels were not present. Turner, who chairs the committee, told press: “Yesterday, there were not very good answers as to what is the standard, what is occurring with the designation of cartels as terrorist organizations…”
• Note: Reportedly, a classified briefing was held the prior day that excluded Democratic members of the committee. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, reportedly said the administration “ignores checks and balances” by picking and choosing which elected officials have access to legal justifications.
• Note: White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said the Department of Defense has held nine “bipartisan” briefings on the boat strikes. She claimed DOD “individually works through requests” from lawmakers.

October 29 – Senate Democrats send a letter to AG Bondi requesting legal justifications for strikes

• Ten Democratic senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee signed a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi asking for “any and all legal opinions assessing the legality of military actions ordered by the President” that have resulted in a current total of 61 deaths in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
• In the letter, the senators state “it appears the strikes may violate”:
  1. 18 U.S.C. § 1111, which makes it a felony to commit murder within special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the US (including the high seas)
  2. EO 12333 § 2.11 (US Intelligence Activities), which prohibits persons employed by or acting on behalf of the USG from engaging in assassination
  3. 10 U.S. Code § 918 – Art. 118 (UCMJ). Murder, which prohibits premeditated and unlawful killing of a human being
  4. Binding peremptory norms of customary international law and treaties to which the United States is a party, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Art. 6 and UNHRC General comment No. 36 on article 6.
  5. The Geneva Conventions
• The letter requests that Attorney General Bondi schedule a briefing, classified or unclassified, for the Committee by November 3, 2025 on the legal analysis of these strikes. It also requests the AG answer a set of six listed questions by November 7, 2025.

FOURTEENTH STRIKE: October 29 – Fourteenth strike in the Eastern Pacific, killing four

• Secretary of Defense Hegseth announced on X that DOD carried out a strike on a vessel operated by “Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTO) trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific.”
• The strike killed four people, bringing the publicly reported death toll to 61 since the strikes began in September.

ELEVENTH, TWELFTH, AND THIRTEENTH STRIKES: October 27 – Eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth strikes in the Eastern Pacific, killing fourteen and initially leaving one survivor

• Secretary of Defense Hegseth announced on X that DOD carried out three separate strikes on four vessels “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTO) trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific.” Reportedly, eight were killed in the first strike, four in the second strike, and three in the third strike, totaling fourteen killed in the three strikes, with one reported survivor.
• Note: SOUTHCOM reportedly initiated Search and Rescue (SAR) standard protocols for the lone survivor. Mexico SAR authorities accepted the case and assumed responsibility for coordinating the rescue. On Oct. 31, the Mexican Navy reportedly planned to call off search efforts for the individual, who is now presumed dead.

October 26 – Senator Lindsay Graham states that Trump may intend to conduct land strikes in Venezuela  

• Senator Graham stated in an interview with CBS’s Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation”: “President Trump told me yesterday that he plans to brief members of Congress when he gets back from Asia about future potential military operations against Venezuela and Colombia… So there will be a congressional briefing about a potential expanding from the sea to the land.”
• Note: Senators Rand Paul and James Lankford (R-OK) have both argued against the (thus far, sea-based) strikes. Lankford said that he would be “apoplectic” if former President Joe Biden had done the same thing. Senator Paul said on “Fox News Sunday,” “So far, they have alleged that these people are drug dealers. No one’s said their name, no one’s said what evidence, no one’s said whether they’re armed, and we’ve had no evidence presented … So at this point, I would call them extrajudicial killings.”

October 26 – U.S. warship docks in Trinidad and Tobago

• The USS Gravely, a guided missile destroyer, docked in Port-of-Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, for joint exercises with the island nation’s military forces.
• Protestors gathered outside the US Embassy after the warship docked in the island country, which borders Venezuela’s coast.

October 24 – DOD moves carrier strike group into the Caribbean Sea

• Secretary of Defense Hegseth ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to move from the Mediterranean Sea to the Caribbean to “augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle TCOs.”
• Note: Maduro accused the United States of “fabricating a new external war” following the announcement.

TENTH STRIKE: October 24 – Tenth strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea, killing six

• Secretary of Defense Hegseth announced on X that the United States carried out another strike on a vessel allegedly “operated by Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO), trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean Sea,” killing six people. Hegseth claimed it was the first attack to occur at night.

October 23 – Trump says he will not seek Congressional approval to carry out strikes

• Trump told the press at the White House, “I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war. I think we are going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country, OK? We are going to kill them, you know? They are going to be, like, dead.” He suggested that he may inform Congress about future strikes, including on land, but without seeking congressional approval.
• Note: US officials told the press that two Air Force B-1 bombers from Texas flew near Venezuela in international airspace in an attempt to pressure Maduro to step down. When asked about the flights, Trump said, “No, it’s not accurate,” he said. “No, it’s false.”

NINTH STRIKE: October 22 – Ninth strike on a vessel, killing three; second strike in the eastern Pacific Ocean

• Hours after Secretary of Defense Hegseth announced the first strike, U.S. Special Operations forces carried out a second strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three people aboard and bringing the total death toll from strikes since early September to 37. Hegseth said in a post on X that the vessel was “operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO)” and was “known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route, and carrying narcotics.”
• Note: While speaking to press reporters at the White House ahead of a meeting with NATO Secretary Mark Rutte, Trump suggested that he would soon order strikes against land targets, saying, “We will hit them very hard when they come in by land […] They haven’t experienced that yet, but now we are totally prepared to do that.” He added that his administration would “probably go back to Congress and explain exactly what we are doing” before launching those strikes, but insisted that he did not need their permission to act. “Something very serious is going to happen, the equivalent of what’s happening by sea,” Trump said.

EIGHTH  STRIKE: October 21 – Eighth strike on a vessel, killing two; for the first time, in the eastern Pacific Ocean

• U.S. Special Operations Forces carried out a strike on a vessel for the first time in the eastern Pacific Ocean in international waters, killing two on the boat.
• Secretary of Defense Hegseth posted the video of the strike on X, saying that intelligence indicated the vessel was involved in drug smuggling and had narcotics onboard. (“Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel being operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization and conducting narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific”). Hegseth likened cartels to Al Qaeda, saying, “Just as Al Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people.”

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (United Nations): October 21 – Three United Nations experts issue a joint letter denouncing U.S. targeting of vessels off the coast of Venezuela, describing it as a breach of the UN Charter

• The experts included George Katrougalos, independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; and Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.
• The experts claimed the strikes, if made in order to impose regime change, are in violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State. They additionally stated: “The long history of external interventions in Latin America must not be repeated.”

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (Colombia): October 19 – Colombian President Petro accuses the United States of murdering a Colombian fisherman in one of its strikes, Trump cuts off aid payments

• In a post on X, Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused the United States of killing a Colombian fisherman in a mid-September strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea. Petro said the US had “committed murder” and “violated [Colombia’s] sovereignty in territorial waters.”
• Trump responded by saying he would halt aid payments to Colombia and impose new tariffs on the country’s goods. He called Petro an “illegal drug dealer” and accused him of failing to curb the production of illegal drugs in Colombia.
• Petro’s statement followed remarks by him earlier in the month accusing the United States of striking a boat and killing Colombian citizens aboard.

October 18 – Administration repatriates two survivors of the October 16 strike to their respective countries of nationality, Colombia and Ecuador

• The Department of Defense reportedly transferred legal custody of the detainees to the State Department for repatriation.
• On October 20, two prosecutors in Ecuador decided against charging one of two survivors of an October 16 vessel strike, saying there was no evidence the man had committed a crime in Venezuelan territory.

SEVENTH STRIKE: October 17 – Seventh strike on boat “linked to Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional,” a Colombian guerrilla group, killing three

• Secretary of Defense Hegseth stated that the U.S. military “struck another alleged drug-carrying vessel on Friday, killing three people.” In a post on X, he stated that Friday’s strike targeted a boat linked to Ejército de Liberación Nacional (National Liberation Army), a Colombian guerrilla group that has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the Trump administration, and alleged the boat “was traveling along a known narco-trafficking route, and was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics.”

October 16 – Senators Kaine, Paul, and Schiff introduce new resolution to prevent strikes on suspected drug trafficking vessels without Congressional approval

• Senators Tim Kaine, Rand Paul, and Adam Schiff introduced a new resolution to require a full briefing to Congress and a congressional vote prior to engaging in “hostilities within or against Venezuela.”
• Note: A previous resolution failed to reach a Senate Floor vote on Oct. 8.

SIXTH STRIKE: October 16 – Sixth strike on boat near Venezuela, killing two and leaving two survivors

• The U.S. Navy carried out a strike against a semi-submersible vessel suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea. Two men aboard were killed, and two survivors were found in the water following the strike.
• The U.S. Navy held the two survivors on a warship in international waters until transferring them (see further developments on Oct. 18).

October 15 – Venezuela sends letter to UN Security Council requesting an “investigation” of US strikes

• On October 16, Venezuela’s U.N. Ambassador Samuel Moncada sent a letter to the 15-person UN Security Council accusing the U.S. of striking “civilian vessels transiting international waters” and asking the Council to “investigate” the strikes to “determine their illegal nature.” The letter further requested that the Council issue a statement “reaffirming the principle of unrestricted respect for the sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of states.”

October 15 – Trump confirms he authorized CIA covert action against Venezuela

• In an Oval Office press conference, Trump confirmed earlier news reports citing unnamed U.S. officials that he had authorized CIA covert action against Venezuela, stating that he had made the authorization because Venezuela had “emptied their prisons into the United States of America.” The CIA declined to comment.
• In the same press conference, Trump claimed that the administration is “looking at land now, because we’ve got the sea very well under control,” hinting at potential land operations in Venezuelan territory.

FIFTH STRIKE: October 14 – Fifth strike on boat near Venezuela, killing six

• Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said intelligence confirmed the vessel was “trafficking narcotics” and was “associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks.” He posted a 30-second video of the strike. The video was reposted by the Instagram account of the Department of Defense, and by Secretary of Defense Hegseth on X.

INTERNATIONAL REACTION (Canada): October 10 – Canada clarifies its ongoing participation in Operation Caribbe is “separate and distinct” from U.S. boat strikes in the Caribbean

• A Canadian Department of National Defence spokesperson stated “It is important to note that Canadian Armed Forces activities under Operation Caribbe, conducted in co-ordination with the United States Coast Guard, are separate and distinct from the activities you describe involving other branches of the United States military[.]”
• Operation Caribbe is Canada’s contribution to the multinational anti-drug trafficking effort, Campaign Martillo.

October 10 – US Mission to UN representative states that strikes are part of a “non-international armed conflict” at a UN Security Council briefing

• A representative of the United States Mission to the United Nations, John Kelley, stated at the UN Security Council briefing on the strikes on Venezuela: “President Trump has determined the United States is in a non-international armed conflict and has directed the Department of War to conduct operations against them pursuant to the law of armed conflict and consistent with Article 51 of the UN Charter.”
• Mr. Kelley also stated, “President Trump determined these cartels are non-state armed groups, designated them as terrorist organizations, and determined that their actions constitute an armed attack against the United States.” He stated that the Trump administration “does not recognize Nicolás Maduro or his cronies as the government of Venezuela.

October 8 – Proposed legislation to prevent strikes against suspected drug traffickers without congressional authorization fails vote to be brought to Senate floor

• The vote to bring the legislation proposed by Senators Schiff and Kaine, joined by co-sponsor Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), to the floor for a full vote failed 48-51, “largely along party lines.” Republican Senators Paul and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voted in favor of the resolution, while Democratic Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) voted against it.
• The measure, brought under the War Powers Resolution, would have barred Trump from using military force against designated terrorist organizations, “states in which those entities operate,” or non-state organizations “engaged in the promotion, trafficking, and distribution of illegal drugs” without authorization from Congress.

October 6 – Commander in charge of SOUTHCOM Admiral Alvin Holsey offers his resignation

• Secretary of Defense Hegseth had reportedly criticized Adm. Holsey for not moving “quickly or aggressively enough to combat drug trafficking in the Caribbean.” According to CNN, “SOUTHCOM was concerned about the operations not being lawful.”
• According to CNN, “[t]he tensions came to a head during a meeting between Hegseth, Holsey and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine on October 6 at the Pentagon” and “Holsey offered to resign during the meeting … but the idea was tabled and his departure was not announced until over a week later.”
• Note: On October 16, Adm. Holsey announced on X his retirement from the Navy, effective December 12, 2025, just one year into his tenure.

October 6 – Senate Armed Services Committee Chair and Ranking Member send a letter to Secretary of Defense requesting a copy of DOJ opinions on legality of strikes

• Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Hegseth, following the October 1 classified Armed Services Committee meeting, requesting (1) any written opinion issued by the DOJ OLC “opining on the domestic or international legal basis for these operations and strikes;” (2) a list of designated terrorist organizations and drug trafficking organizations with whom the President has determined the U.S. is in a non-international armed conflict; and (3) orders by Trump to conduct previous strikes.
• Their letter followed a previous letter from the Senators to Secretary of Defense Hegseth on September 23 that requested a copy of orders by Trump or Hegseth to conduct strikes, citing their legislative authority under Section 1067 of the 2025 NDAA.
• Note: The letter was privately sent but revealed publicly by the senators on October 23, following additional strikes. (See October 31 entry for more details.)

UNCONFIRMED ADDITIONAL STRIKE: October 4 – Trump statement on unconfirmed additional strike

• On October 5, Trump spoke at a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush. He implied there was an additional strike the prior evening, October 4, stating: “Every one of those boats is responsible for the death of 25,000 American people and the destruction of families. So when you think of it that way, what we’re doing is actually an act of kindness. But we did another one last night. Now we just can’t find any.” Such a strike is otherwise unconfirmed, and it is possible that this statement was in error or intended to reference the Oct. 3 strike.

FOURTH STRIKE: October 3 – Fourth strike on boat near Venezuela, killing four

• In a social media post, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth accused the four men killed in the strike of smuggling narcotics, without offering evidence. He asserted that the men were “affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization” – likely referring to one of the cartels or gangs that have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the Department of State during this administration, but without specifying which organization.
• Hegseth said the attack took place “just off the coast of Venezuela” but in international waters and did not identify the nationalities of the dead.

October 2 – Trump declares existence of armed conflict in confidential notice to Congress

• A notice provided under Section 1230 of the Fiscal Year 2024 NDAA (50 U.S.C. § 1543a) states that Trump has decided that the United States is engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” (NIAC) with drug cartels he has labeled terrorist organizations and that suspected smugglers for such groups are “unlawful combatants.” The notice was sent to several congressional committees and obtained by The New York Times.
• The notice specifically referenced the Sept. 15 strike, stating that the targeted “vessel was assessed by the U.S. intelligence community to be affiliated with a designated terrorist organization.”
• Note: The notice to Congress, which was labeled as controlled but unclassified information, for the first time portrays the U.S. military’s attacks on boats to be part of a NIAC (an international law term that refers to an armed conflict with one or more non-state actors). Specifically, it says that Trump has “determined” that cartels engaged in smuggling drugs are “nonstate armed groups” whose actions “constitute an armed attack against the United States.”

October 1 – Closed Senate Armed Services Committee meeting

• In a closed-door Senate Armed Services Committee meeting, senators from both sides of the aisle questioned the Department of Defense’s legal justification for striking alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean and, according to anonymous sources, “urged officials to devise a stronger legal case.”
• During the meeting, Department of Defense general counsel Earl Matthews repeatedly argued that Trump’s designation of some Latin American drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations “granted the Department of Defense unilateral authority to use military force.” Matthews reportedly also declined to provide a written justification for the strikes.

September 23 – Senate Armed Services Committee Chair and Ranking Member send a letter to Secretary of Defense requesting a copy of President or Secretary of Defense’s order to carry out prior strikes

• Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Hegseth requesting a copy of orders by Trump or Hegseth to conduct strikes, citing their legislative authority under Section 1067 of the 2025 NDAA.
• Note: The letter was privately sent but revealed publicly by the senators on October 23, following additional strikes. (See October 31 entry for more details.)

September 23 – House Democrats introduce a resolution under the War Powers Resolution to prevent strikes against suspected drug traffickers or against Venezuela without congressional approval

• Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Greg Casar (D-TX), and Jesús Garcia (D-IL) sponsored the resolution (H. Con. Res. 51). The resolution was referred shortly thereafter to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

THIRD STRIKE: September 19 – Third strike against a vessel claimed to be “smuggling drugs,” killing three

• Trump in a social media post said the strike killed three and was carried out against a vessel “affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility.” He did not provide further information about the location of the strike, the identity of the organization, or the individuals “affiliated” with it.

September 18 – Senators introduce a resolution under the War Powers Resolution to prevent strikes on suspected drug trafficking vessels without Congressional approval

• Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced the resolution (S.J. Res. 83), which was initially referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The resolution claimed Congress had “received insufficient information about the vessels, their threat level or the legal basis for using force against them.”
• In a statement on the same day, Senator Kaine claimed, “President Trump has no legal authority to launch strikes or use military force in the Caribbean or elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere. The administration has refused to provide Congress with basic information about the multiple strike[sic] it has carried out, including who was killed, why it was necessary to put servicemembers’ lives at risk, and why a standard interdiction operation wasn’t conducted.”
• At the same time, it was reported that draft legislation to provide the Trump administration with “sweeping power to wage war against drug cartels [Trump] deems to be ‘terrorists’” was circulating within Congress.
• See Oct. 8 entry for vote count

SECOND STRIKE: September 15 – Second strike against a vessel, killing three

• Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the strike that it “occurred while these confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela were in International Waters transporting illegal narcotics (A DEADLY WEAPON POISONING AMERICANS!) headed to the U.S.” He added, “These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. Interests.”

September 4 – First strike 48-hour report under the War Powers Resolution

• Trump provided Congress with a report describing the Sept. 2 strike on “a vessel… that was assessed to be affiliated with a designated terrorist organization and to be engaged in illicit drug trafficking activities,” but without identifying the organization or the specific activities.
• The report stated: “It is not possible at this time to know the full scope and duration of military operations that will be necessary. United States forces remain postured to carry out further military operations.”
• The report states, “I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148).”
• Note: As discussed on the Just Security podcast, the report likely triggered the War Powers Resolution’s termination provision, which requires U.S. forces to be removed from hostilities or imminent hostilities within 60 days unless Congress authorizes the activity.

FIRST STRIKE: September 2 – First strike against a vessel off the coast of Venezuela, killing 11, including an alleged double-tap killing of two survivors

• Trump said the United States had carried out a strike in the southern Caribbean against a vessel containing “positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility.”
• The president said in a social media post that 11 people were killed and posted a short video clip of a small vessel appearing to explode in flames. “The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States,” Trump said on Truth Social. “No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America.”

August – U.S. Southern Command senior military lawyer reportedly raised legal concerns before the strikes commenced 

• According to an NBC report published November 19, a senior Judge Advocate General (JAG) at U.S. Southern Command expressed concern in August – prior to the first strike – that strikes against people on boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean, whom administration officials call “narco-terrorists,” could amount to extrajudicial killings and expose service members involved in the operations to legal liability. However, his opinion was overruled, reportedly by lawyers within the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC).
• In response to news reports in November, Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell issued a statement saying: “The War Department categorically denies that any Pentagon lawyers, including SOUTHCOM lawyers, with knowledge of these operations have raised concerns to any attorneys in the chain of command regarding the legality of the strikes conducted thus far because they are aware we are on firm legal ground. Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in complete compliance with the law of armed conflict.”

July – President Donald Trump reportedly directs DOD to use military force against Latin American “terrorists”

• In late July, Trump reportedly signed a still-secret order directing the Department of Defense (DOD) to start using military force against Latin American criminal groups that his administration has labeled terrorists.
• Note: Subsequent reporting has indicated that official DOJ Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) guidance to DOD, at least initially drafted and rendered in July, purported to provide legal justification for the strikes. OLC’s legal advice was reportedly finalized on September 5, 2025 in a classified memorandum. It includes a “list of [24] cartels [that] goes beyond those the administration has publicly designated as terrorist organizations.”

February 2025 – Deputy Attorney General tells DOJ officials the administration is “just going to sink the boats”

• In February 2025, then-acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove reportedly said during a speech at a Department of Justice (DOJ) conference for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces that the administration was “not going to worry so much about interdictions, we’re just going to sink the boats,” to the shock of several DOJ officials in attendance.

Early 2025 – Top intelligence and national security lawyers express concern about legality of strikes on vessels in the Caribbean 

• According to several former government officials and other anonymous sources, then-acting CIA General Counsel, then-NSC legal advisor Paul Ney, and a then-CIA Americas and Counternarcotics Mission Center lawyer had all reportedly expressed concerns about the legality of lethal strikes on drug trafficking vessels in the early months of 2025. All three were subsequently replaced or reassigned.