Here’s your Friday, November 7, 2025 Morning Brief rundown: The US widens its anti-narcotics campaign in the Caribbean, Senate Republicans reject limits on Trump’s war powers, and Spain dismantles a major Venezuelan gang. Across the world, Israel’s airstrikes shake Lebanon, and China flexes its Pacific power with a new carrier.

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US Strike Kills Three in Caribbean as Trump Expands Deadly Anti-Narcotics Campaign

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced late Thursday that a US military strike destroyed a boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing three people alleged to be involved in narcotics trafficking.

The attack marked at least the 17th such strike under President Donald Trump’s ongoing campaign in South American waters, bringing the total death toll to at least 69.

Hegseth shared a video of the strike on social media, calling the targets “narco-terrorists” and vowing continued operations until drug trafficking stops.

As we’ve said before, vessel strikes on narco-terrorists will continue until their the poisoning of the American people stops.

Today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist… pic.twitter.com/gQF9LpSjqD

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) November 7, 2025

The administration has claimed the vessels are run by foreign terrorist organizations, but has not provided supporting evidence.

The strikes are part of a broader Trump administration campaign framed as an “armed conflict” against drug cartels.

Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed congressional leaders this week on the operation’s legal and strategic basis. While Republican lawmakers largely backed the effort, Democrats demanded more transparency, questioning the legality of killing suspected smugglers on the high seas.

Senate Republicans Block Measure to Limit Trump’s Authority to Attack Venezuela

Senate Republicans voted 51-49 on Thursday to reject legislation that would have required congressional approval before President Donald Trump could launch military action against Venezuela.

The measure, introduced by Democrats under the War Powers Resolution, sought to curb Trump’s expanding naval campaign in the Caribbean and Pacific, which has targeted alleged drug-smuggling vessels and killed at least 69 people in 17 strikes.

Republican leaders argued the legislation was unnecessary, though several senators expressed concern about the scale and cost of the operation. Only Senators Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski broke with their party to support the measure.

US Senate Republicans blocked a resolution that would have prevented President Trump from attacking Venezuela without congressional authorization, a day after it was told that Washington is not currently planning strikes on Venezuelan territory https://t.co/IzgAQKSbyl pic.twitter.com/bYetz0YFjh

— Reuters (@Reuters) November 7, 2025

Democrats warned that the buildup of US forces in the region points to possible regime change efforts against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and criticized the administration for acting without a clear strategy or congressional oversight.

Lawmakers from both parties have pressed the Pentagon and State Department for more transparency.

Despite repeated failed votes, Democrats vowed to continue pushing for congressional approval before any further escalation.

Israeli Airstrikes Hit Southern Lebanon as Tensions With Hezbollah Escalate

Israeli jets struck multiple towns in southern Lebanon on Thursday, including Tayba, Teir Debba, and Aita al-Jabal, after warning residents to evacuate, marking a sharp escalation in near-daily strikes against Hezbollah targets.

The Israeli military said it hit weapons storage sites and other Hezbollah infrastructure located in populated areas, accusing the group of rebuilding its capabilities nearly a year after a US-brokered ceasefire ended a monthslong war. Lebanon’s health ministry reported one person wounded.

The strikes came hours after Hezbollah urged Lebanon’s government not to negotiate with Israel.

❗️Israel starts wide-scale airstrikes on southern Lebanese towns

Al Akhbar footage shows MASSIVE bombing of Tayr Debba

IDF drones also flying over capital Beirut

UN warns of ceasefire ‘violations undermining fragile calm’ https://t.co/70QXRPwBlR pic.twitter.com/FLfer1PrY2

— RT (@RT_com) November 6, 2025

Lebanese leaders, meanwhile, discussed efforts to disarm Hezbollah and other armed groups. President Joseph Aoun condemned the attacks, accusing Israel of rejecting peaceful dialogue.

Israel said the strikes aim to prevent Hezbollah from rearming, while Lebanese officials said civilian areas were targeted.

The renewed violence follows months of fragile calm since the 2024 ceasefire, which ended heavy fighting triggered by Hezbollah’s support for Hamas during the Gaza war. Lebanon’s government says more than 270 people have been killed and 850 wounded by Israeli military actions since the truce.

The US also announced new sanctions Thursday targeting Hezbollah-linked financial networks transferring funds from Iran.

Spain Arrests 13 Suspected Members of Venezuelan Tren de Aragua Gang

Spanish police arrested 13 people in five cities for alleged ties to the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, authorities announced Friday. The arrests mark Spain’s first operation to dismantle a cell of the group, which the US designated a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year.

The operation took place in Barcelona, Madrid, Girona, A Coruña, and Valencia.

🚩Desarticulada por primera vez una célula del “Tren de Aragua” asentada en #España

🔹Hay 1⃣3⃣ detenidos en #Barcelona (8), #Madrid (2), #Girona, #ACoruña y #Valencia

🔹Los arrestados “cocinaban” tusi en sus propios domicilios, y también se dedicaban al tráfico de cocaína

➡️2ª… pic.twitter.com/zOWHBJABOz

— Policía Nacional (@policia) November 7, 2025

Officers also shut down two drug labs producing tusi, a synthetic mix of cocaine, MDMA, and ketamine, and seized additional narcotics. The investigation began after the arrest in Barcelona of the brother of the gang’s leader, “Niño Guerrero,” under an international warrant from Venezuela.

Tren de Aragua, which originated in a Venezuelan prison more than a decade ago, has expanded its influence amid mass migration from Venezuela, establishing operations across Latin America, the United States, and Europe.

The gang has also become a focal point in US efforts to combat narcotics trafficking and transnational crime.

EU Forces Race to Intercept Somali Pirates Holding Maltese Tanker

A European Union Naval Task Force is moving to intercept Somali pirates who seized the Malta-flagged oil tanker Hellas Aphrodite in the Indian Ocean, officials said Friday.

The tanker, carrying gasoline from India to South Africa, was attacked Thursday with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) off Somalia’s coast. Its 24-member crew sheltered in a secure citadel as pirates boarded the vessel.

The EU’s Operation Atalanta said naval assets were closing in to take “appropriate action,” while the UK Maritime Trade Operations center reported another attempted pirate approach nearby on Friday.

Officials believe both incidents involve the same pirate gang operating from a hijacked Iranian fishing boat.

Piracy resurgence off Somalia – incl. a boarding 560NM SE of Eyl & an attempted boarding 332NM E of Mogadishu – threatens mariner safety & trade.

We’re supporting partners in the response, delivering fused maritime intelligence for operational decisions.#MaritimeSecurity pic.twitter.com/zDMSD7uGiS

— Starboard Maritime Intelligence (@StarboardIntel) November 7, 2025

The attack marks the first successful hijacking of a commercial ship off Somalia since May 2024 and follows a rise in pirate activity linked to instability caused by Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

Piracy in the region peaked in 2011 before international patrols sharply reduced incidents, but recent attacks have renewed fears of a broader resurgence.

North Korea and Russia Deepen Military Cooperation Amid Reports of Troop Deployments to Russia

Senior North Korean and Russian military officials held talks in Pyongyang this week to strengthen defense cooperation, North Korean state media reported Friday, as both nations deepen ties amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.

North Korea’s Pak Yong Il met with Russian Vice Defense Minister Viktor Goremykin on Wednesday to discuss expanding military collaboration “in line with deepened bilateral relations.”

Goremykin also met North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol the following day, though no specific agreements were announced.

N. Korea, Russia discuss cooperation, exchanges between their military-political organs https://t.co/VuBeW67BK4

— Yonhap News Agency (@YonhapNews) November 6, 2025

The meetings followed reports from South Korea’s intelligence service indicating that North Korea may be preparing additional troop deployments to Russia. Seoul estimates that around 15,000 North Korean troops, along with artillery and missiles, have already been sent to support Moscow.

The agency also said about 5,000 North Korean construction troops have been moving to Russia since September for infrastructure work.

The talks came days after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited South Korea, praising Seoul’s plans to boost defense spending amid growing regional threats from nuclear-armed North Korea and its increasing alignment with Russia.

North Korea Fires Short-Range Ballistic Missile

North Korea fired a suspected short-range ballistic missile toward its eastern waters Friday, South Korea’s military said, marking Pyongyang’s latest weapons test as diplomatic talks with Washington and Seoul remain frozen.

The missile, launched from the western county of Taekwan, traveled about 700 kilometers (434 miles) before landing outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. No damage was reported.

Nuclear-armed North Korea fired off an unidentified ballistic missile on Friday, the Defense Ministry in Tokyo said, with the missile apparently landing outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. https://t.co/70YV4FoNbK

— The Japan Times (@japantimes) November 7, 2025

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said US and South Korean intelligence agencies monitored the launch in advance and are analyzing the test, while maintaining heightened readiness for further provocations.

The launch follows a series of missile and artillery firings in recent weeks, coinciding with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s visit to Seoul and regional efforts to restart stalled negotiations.

China Commissions Fujian Aircraft Carrier, Expanding Naval Power in Pacific

China officially commissioned its newest aircraft carrier, the *Fujian *(18), at a ceremony Wednesday on Hainan Island attended by President Xi Jinping, state media reported Friday.

The Fujian is China’s third carrier and the first to be fully designed and built domestically, marking a major step in Beijing’s plan to modernize its military by 2035 and rival the US Navy by mid-century.

Equipped with an advanced electromagnetic launch system similar to that on America’s Ford-class carriers, the Fujian can deploy heavier aircraft such as the J-35 stealth fighter and KJ-600 early warning plane.

Analysts say the new carrier allows China to project power far beyond its coastal waters, extending into the Western Pacific and potentially challenging US influence around Guam and the broader Indo-Pacific.

The carrier’s commissioning drew concern from Japan, which warned that China’s rapid military buildup lacks transparency.

Chinese President #XiJinping inspected China’s Fujian aircraft carrier pic.twitter.com/GycbXOq0GB

— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) November 7, 2025

Despite the Fujian’s technological leap, experts note that China still trails the US in carrier numbers, nuclear propulsion, and global logistics support.

The move underscores Xi’s drive to build a “blue-water navy” capable of global operations and to reinforce China’s status as a major military power.

Sources: News Agencies