46 h. ago US forces strike another alleged drug boat in eastern Pacific, killing 4

The US military said on Wednesday that it attacked a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing four people on the same day the US House rejected efforts to limit President Donald Trump’s power to use military force against drug cartels. US Southern Command stated on social media that the vessel was operated by narco-terrorists along a known trafficking route. The military didn’t provide evidence behind the allegations but posted a video of a boat moving through water...

Events

3 d. ago Trump orders blockade of sanctioned oil tankers into Venezuela, piling pressure on Maduro

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he is ordering a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on Caracas. The moves comes after US forces last week seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, an unusual move that followed a build-up of military forces in the region. In a post on social media Tuesday night announcing the blockade, Trump alleged Venezuela was using oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes and vowed to escalate the military...

Events

3 d. ago Trump orders blockade of sanctioned oil tankers in Venezuela, piling pressure on Maduro

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he is ordering a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on Caracas. The moves comes after US forces last week seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, an unusual move that followed a build-up of military forces in the region. In a post on social media Tuesday night announcing the blockade, Trump alleged Venezuela was using oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes and vowed to escalate the military...

Events

3 d. ago US military says strikes on 3 boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean kills 8

The US military said Monday that it attacked three boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a total of eight people as scrutiny over the boat strikes is intensifying in the US Congress. The US military said in a statement on social media that the strikes targeted “designated terrorist organisations”, killing three people in the first vessel, two in the second boat and three in the third boat. It did not provide evidence of their alleged drug trafficking but posted a...

Events

3 d. ago US boat strikes kill 8 in eastern Pacific, adding to drug war death toll

The US military said Monday that it attacked three boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a total of eight people as scrutiny over the boat strikes is intensifying in the US Congress. The US military said in a statement on social media that the strikes targeted “designated terrorist organisations”, killing three people in the first vessel, two in the second boat and three in the third boat. It did not provide evidence of their alleged drug trafficking but posted a...

Events

1 week ago Hegseth defends killing boat survivors, likens drug gangs to al

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth doubled down on deadly US air strikes against alleged drug-running boats off the Venezuelan coast, saying he would have made the same call as the admiral who ordered survivors to be killed. The nearly two dozen strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific have come under bipartisan scrutiny, but recent reports that a September strike included a second one to kill two survivors clinging to wreckage at sea have prompted accusations of possible war crimes. “From what...

Events

2 w. ago Admiral denies ‘kill them all’ order in boat attack but video alarms lawmakers

A Navy admiral commanding the US military strikes on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean told lawmakers on Thursday that there was no “kill them all” order from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth but a stark video of the attack left grave questions as Congress scrutinises the campaign that killed two people. Admiral Frank Bradley appeared for a series of closed-door classified briefings at the Capitol as lawmakers conduct an investigation after a report that he ordered the follow-on attack that...

Events

2 w. ago US admiral denies ‘kill them all’ order in Caribbean boat strike

A US Navy admiral commanding the US military strikes on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean told lawmakers Thursday that there was no “kill them all” order from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, but a stark video of the attack left grave questions as Congress scrutinises the campaign that killed two survivors. Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley appeared for a series of closed-door classified briefings at the Capitol as lawmakers conduct an investigation after a report that he ordered the follow-on...

Events

2 w. ago Trump defence chief says he didn’t see survivors or watch second boat strike

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday he had watched the first US strike in September on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in real time but did not see survivors in the water or the second lethal strike that he described as being carried out in the “fog of war”. Hegseth, speaking at a cabinet meeting alongside US President Donald Trump, defended the follow-up strike that has drawn bipartisan scrutiny from Congress and concerns about the legality of the administration’s moves. The...

Events

2 w. ago Trump’s defence chief says he didn’t see survivors or watch second boat strike

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday he had watched the first US strike in September on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in real time but did not see survivors in the water or the second lethal strike that he described as being carried out in the “fog of war”. Hegseth, speaking at a cabinet meeting alongside US President Donald Trump, defended the follow-up strike that has drawn bipartisan scrutiny from Congress and concerns about the legality of the administration’s moves. The...

Events

2 w. ago Trump confirms call with Venezuela’s Maduro as US military piles pressure

US President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday he had recently spoken with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro amid soaring tensions between the two countries, while Caracas condemned what it called US preparations for an attack. The United States is piling the pressure on Venezuela, with a major military build-up in the Caribbean, the designation of an alleged drug cartel run by Maduro as a terrorist group, and an ominous warning from Trump that Venezuelan airspace is “closed”. Washington says the aim...

Events