How Trump's strikes on "narco-terrorists" have escalated off Venezuela and beyond

The Trump administration's military campaign against alleged "narco-terrorists" has now expanded beyond Venezuela, and just had its deadliest day yet.The big picture: The U.S. has now conducted at least 13 strikes and killed at least 57 people in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. But beyond announcing the strikes and releasing several videos of boats exploding, the administration has provided next to no information about who has been killed and on what evidence.The White House has justified the strikes by claiming the victims were trafficking drugs to the U.S., but even some Republican lawmakers have raised questions about the escalating campaign, which has not been authorized by Congress.President Trump has said he doesn't need congressional authorization to target "narco-terrorists." His administration has claimed the U.S. is in an "armed conflict" with drug cartels.The strikes have coincided with a significant military buildup in the region that's intended to pressure Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and could foreshadow land strikes on the country.Here is a timeline of the U.S. campaign: August: Bounty on Maduro, ships on the waterThe U.S. increased its bounty for information leading to Maduro's arrest on drug trafficking charges to $50 million on Aug. 7, a clear statement that it hoped for regime change in Caracas.The U.S. subsequently cut off diplomacy with Maduro to focus on its pressure campaign.In mid-August, the U.S. began sending a massive array of warships, spy planes, fighter jets, bombers, drones, and U.S. Marines to the waters off Venezuela.Sept. 2: U.S. carries out first strike The Pentagon announced a "precision strike against a drug vessel operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization," marking the start of Trump's international war on drugs. Trump posted a video of what appeared to be an aerial attack on a speedboat and said it killed 11 members of Tren de Aragua, a cartel based in Venezuela, in international waters.Senior officials made it clear they would be happy to see what is officially a drug trafficking operation contribute to Maduro's ouster.Sept. 15-Oct. 14: Four more strikesThe U.S. conducted a second strike in international waters, killing three people "transporting illegal narcotics," Trump said in a Truth Social post on Sep 15. Four days later he posted another video showing a strike off the coast of Venezuela. He said "three male narcoterrorists" who were "affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization" died. Hegseth said a fourth attack against an alleged drug-carrying vessel near Venezuela killed four people on Oct. 3."These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!" Hegseth wrote on X. Trump said six people died in a fifth strike on Oct. 14, claiming the vessel was operated by a "Designated Terrorist Organization." He provided no further evidence and did not name the group.That brought the overall death toll to 27.Oct. 15-16: Two bombshells from TrumpTrump said he'd authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela, including possible strikes against drug cartels, on Oct. 15.A day later it emerged that the admiral overseeing the Venezuela operation, SOUTHCOM Commander Adm. Alvin Holsey, was stepping down unexpectedly only a year into his command.Holsey was reportedly concerned about the legality of the strikes and was moving more cautiously than Hegseth wanted.Oct. 16: "Drug-carrying submarine" attackedMeanwhile, Trump announced a sixth attack on a suspected "drug-carrying submarine" in the Caribbean. Two people were killed, but it was also the first attack with known survivors. The administration elected them to return to their home countries of Ecuador and Colombia to avoid a messy process concerning their legal status.Oct. 17: U.S. targets Colombian group Hegseth said a seventh U.S. strike killed three men aboard a boat he said was linked to Ejército de Liberación Nacional, a Colombian insurgent group. That brought the known death toll to 32. Oct. 21-22: First strikes in the eastern Pacific The U.S. carried out its first known strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Colombia, killing two "narco-terrorists," Hegseth posted on X.He provided no information about the location of the strike, but shared a video of the boat going up in flames on X. Hegseth announced another strike in the eastern Pacific, which killed three people, on Oct. 22.Oct. 24: U.S. conducts 10th deadly attack Hegseth revealed a 10th strike killed six people on a boat in the Caribbean that he said was operated by Tren de Aragua. "If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda," Hegseth said on X. "Day or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you," he said. Oct. 27: Three strikes in one day in eastern PacificU.S. strikes targeting four alleged drug smuggling boats killed 14 people — the deadliest single day in the U.S. campaign so far.Hegseth said there was one known survivor.Go deeper: Graham predicts Trump's war on "narco-terrorists" will expand to land strikes