U.S. Strikes on Boats in the Pacific

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Top of the Agenda

The U.S. military bombed two boats in the Pacific Ocean it claimed were carrying drugs, following seven previous strikes in the Caribbean, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said yesterday. The geographic expansion of the Trump administration’s campaign against alleged drug boats comes amid domestic and international calls for more robust evidence justifying the strikes. Washington has now reported killing thirty-seven people without identifying them or providing proof of drug-related activity. Earlier this week, UN-appointed experts said the strikes appeared to amount to “extrajudicial executions.” 

The latest strikes. Hegseth said the boats carried “narco-terrorists” without specifying the name of their group or the substance they were allegedly trafficking. He did not say which country the boats departed from but vowed the strikes would “continue, day after day.” Passengers on previously targeted boats have included Colombian, Ecuadorian, and Venezuelan nationals. The leaders of Colombia and Venezuela have criticized the strikes.

The clash over legal authority. The U.S. Congress has not authorized any armed conflict with drug cartels, despite Trump telling Congress earlier this month that the United States was engaged in such a conflict. Many former government officials and legal experts have described the strikes as unlawful. Trump claimed yesterday that his actions were legal and said the United States might also hit land targets. If the military takes that step, Trump said that his administration would “probably” explain the operations to Congress.

“We’re a rule of law republic, and that goes back to the founding. I think it’s a core part of who we are…the United States has an interest in strengthening, not weakening, the basic rules on the use of military force…By flouting international law or dismissing it through boasting that the administration doesn’t care, the United States is undermining some of its strategic interests, both in the short and long term.” —CFR expert Matthew Waxman, The President’s Inbox

Across the Globe

Trump’s Russia sanctions. The United States sanctioned Russia’s two largest oil companies and their subsidiaries yesterday; Trump shared on social media a call for Russia to “immediately agree to [a] ceasefire.” These are the first significant new sanctions on Moscow during Trump’s second term. The European Union (EU) also announced new sanctions on Russia yesterday, while NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with Trump about a twelve-point peace plan for Ukraine. 

Canada export diversification. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a target yesterday of doubling Canada’s non-U.S. exports by 2035. Canada plans to increase trade with India and China, Carney added. He said the uncertainty sparked by U.S. tariffs has led businesses to delay investments in Canada. The country currently exports more than 75 percent of its goods to the United States.

ICJ order on aid to Gaza. As an occupying power, Israel is obliged to work with humanitarian organizations to allow aid into Gaza, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) said in an advisory opinion yesterday. The court also said that the UN refugee agency for Palestinians had not violated impartiality rules and that Israel should support its work. Israel’s UN ambassador rejected the opinion as a “political document,” while the U.S. State Department called it “corrupt.”

Methane progress report. The world is behind on meeting a target set in 2021 to cut global methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030, a UN report said yesterday. Methane is responsible for roughly a third of all global warming. In 2025, almost 88 percent of methane leaks reported by a UN program went unaddressed, the program’s manager told the New York Times. Still, the number of companies participating in the program continues to grow.

Singapore’s new warship. Singapore, a U.S. partner in the South China Sea, launched its largest and most complex warship to date on Tuesday. It can serve as a base for unmanned air, surface, and underwater missions. Singapore is building six such ships as the country aims to preserve access to sea routes for trade and military purposes.

Angola’s pivot to copper. Angola’s first major copper mine will begin production next week as part of the oil-rich country’s shift toward minerals essential to the green transition, officials announced. The $250 million Tetelo mine is jointly owned by Chinese and Angolan groups and is expected to produce twenty-five thousand metric tons of copper concentrate annually in its first two years. Canadian and British firms also have copper exploration projects in the country.

Argentine FM out. Gerardo Werthein, the country’s foreign minister, tendered his resignation yesterday, just days before Sunday’s midterm elections. He did not provide an official explanation for his resignation, which will be effective Monday, though President Javier Milei said earlier this week he could shake up his cabinet after the midterms. Trump has said that U.S. support for Argentina depends on a positive election result for Milei.

EU call to cut red tape. Leaders of twenty EU countries called for the bloc to streamline business regulations ahead of a summit today on the topic. Countries including Germany and France said that policy goals could be maintained without “outdated rules.” The push for a regulatory overhaul comes after former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi wrote a report last year saying the red tape was hampering EU competitiveness. 

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