Catégorie oBox : OBOXMA

The Trump administration struck again in the Pacific as part of its intensified campaign against drug cartels, targeting three alleged drug-trafficking boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday and killing eight people, even as the operation unfolds amid mounting scrutiny over the legality of a previous strike. The latest action adds to a rapidly rising death toll from recent US strikes in the region, which is now approaching nearly 100 fatalities in total, fueling fresh domestic and international debate over the scope, justification, and oversight of the administration’s expanding use of force at sea. Amid the controversy, several fear the Trump administration is pushing the United States into another “forever war,” with some comparing the trajectory to the buildup and long entanglement of Iraq.

U.S. Southern Command used X to announce fresh strikes in the eastern Pacific, placing the action inside the Trump administration’s widening campaign at sea. The message set the scene with a clear timeline and chain of command. It said the operation happened on Dec. 15, and it linked the decision directly to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. It named the unit that carried out the mission, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, and described what it did in blunt military language, saying it conducted “lethal kinetic strikes” in international waters. The short statement landed as the latest public marker of an intensifying tempo, with officials choosing to release details in real time as questions continue to swirl around earlier strikes.

Known narco-trafficking corridors

The post then moved through the targets and the outcome, describing three vessels and the route they were taking when they were hit. Southern Command said intelligence confirmed the boats were moving along known narco-trafficking corridors in the eastern Pacific and were engaged in trafficking. It said the vessels were operated by “Designated Terrorist Organizations,” and it reported eight men killed across the three boats, broken down vessel by vessel. The command wrote: «On Dec. 15, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking. A total of eight male narco-terrorists were killed during these actions—three in the first vessel, two in the second and three in the third.»

The latest strikes fit into a months-long pressure campaign against Venezuela that has steadily intensified since the first reported US strike in September, marking a clear escalation in posture and presence across the region. Since that initial action, Washington has moved thousands of troops closer to Venezuelan waters, deployed a carrier strike group into the Caribbean, and maintained a near-constant show of force through naval and air operations. Alongside these moves, US officials have repeatedly issued public warnings directed at President Nicolas Maduro, sharpening the tone as military assets accumulated nearby. Each step has built on the last, transforming what began as a single strike into a sustained campaign combining military deployments, visible deterrence, and direct threats, with the Caribbean increasingly serving as the central stage for this prolonged confrontation.

Ukraine said it deployed underwater drones to strike a Russian submarine as it sat at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, releasing footage that showed a large blast flaring up near a dock and sending smoke across the waterfront. The claim came from the SBU, which said the explosion left the submarine badly damaged and no longer operational, writing: «As a result of the explosion, the submarine suffered critical damage and was effectively put out of action». Reuters said it independently verified the video showing an explosion near the docked submarine, while Russia’s Black Sea Fleet denied any damage and said vessels at the base remained in working order.

The attack unfolded at the Russian Black Sea port with Ukraine describing a covert operation carried out below the surface, using underwater drones to reach a submarine while it was moored. According to Ukrainian statements, the drones moved toward the vessel inside the harbor before detonating alongside it, producing an explosion that was later visible in video released by the SBU. The footage showed a flash and blast at the port, followed by smoke rising near the waterfront, suggesting the strike occurred close to critical infrastructure rather than at sea. Ukrainian officials said the submarine was struck while stationary, a moment that left it vulnerable and unable to maneuver or evade the blast. The SBU said the damage was severe enough to put the vessel out of action, framing the strike as a targeted hit aimed at neutralizing a key naval asset rather than sending a warning.

Ceasefire Still Out of Reach

In the past two days, Kyiv and its partners have put new peace proposals on a faster track, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying on Dec. 16 that the documents being negotiated with US officials could be finalized within days and then presented to Russia. The Kremlin, asked the same day about a holiday pause, tied any “Christmas ceasefire” to a wider settlement, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicating a temporary truce would only follow a broader deal. The latest push follows a European statement issued on Dec. 15, in which a group of leaders backed security guarantees that include a European-led multinational force and a US-led mechanism to monitor a ceasefire, framing those measures as a prerequisite before any territorial decisions. The renewed activity comes after earlier direct contacts in Istanbul this year that were brief and produced limited outcomes, including prisoner-exchange discussions, without a ceasefire breakthrough.

Over the past months, the peace track has repeatedly restarted in different formats, then stalled, with the most visible direct channel being the Istanbul meetings in early June 2025 that ended after about an hour and produced no major progress toward a ceasefire. Since then, the diplomacy has shifted toward US-led drafting with Ukraine and European allies, with Zelenskyy saying the resulting proposals could be finalized within days and presented to Russia. Moscow has responded by stressing it wants a comprehensive settlement rather than temporary pauses, a stance it repeated when asked about a Christmas ceasefire.

In a fast news cycle that often drops big stories almost as quickly as they surface, Donald Trump’s remarks attacking media coverage of his health have re-entered the spotlight, after he described outlets that questioned his condition as «seditious» and «treasonous». The comments are resurfacing as the president’s age becomes harder to separate from the public image he tries to project, with recent appearances and moments on the campaign trail renewing questions about his stamina and fitness. The episode has unfolded as another flashpoint in Trump’s long-running fight with the press, one that turns routine scrutiny into a new round of confrontation, amplified again as the clip and wording circulate across social media and television segments.

Donald Trump returned to his familiar fight with the press after a recent New York Times piece questioned his health and stamina, using a long Truth Social post to answer the reporting with a list of achievements and a personal defense of his work pace. He opened with a sweeping claim about his schedule and performance, writing: «There has never been a President that has worked as hard as me! My hours are the longest, and my results are among the best.» He then ran through a string of accomplishments, including: «I’ve stopped Eight Wars», «created the Greatest Economy in the History of our Country», «rebuilt our Military», and «closed our open and very dangerous Southern Border». The post kept moving in the same rhythm, stacking one claim after another as he pushed back against the idea that he is, as he put it, «slowing up».

Trump then shifted to his health and testing, placing medical exams at Walter Reed at the center of his rebuttal and describing them as extensive and closely supervised, while insisting he received «PERFECT Marks». He added that he has taken a cognitive examination «on three separate occasions», writing: «I ACED all three of them», before turning his attack outward toward The New York Times and other outlets. He escalated further by writing: «I actually believe it’s seditious, perhaps even treasonous, for The New York Times, and others, to consistently do FAKE reports in order to libel and demean “THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.”» He continued: «They are true Enemies of the People, and we should do something about it», and concluded by saying the country would be better off if the Times «would cease publication».

Recent appearances by Donald Trump have added fresh fuel to questions about his health, after a series of moments that quickly circulated across news outlets and social media. During public events and court appearances, cameras captured instances where Trump appeared to doze off, while close-up images showed visible bruising on his hands that aides said were covered with makeup. At other times, bandages were seen on his hands and ankles, with swelling around his lower legs drawing further attention. The scrutiny intensified after the White House acknowledged that Trump had undergone medical examinations, including an MRI, with explanations from presidential doctors remaining limited and carefully worded. Together, the images, brief medical disclosures, and unanswered details have formed a steady stream of small but persistent signals, keeping Trump’s physical condition in the headlines despite his efforts to dismiss the coverage.

A Double Standard Between Trump and Biden

The renewed attention on Donald Trump’s health has also revived comparisons with the sustained media focus on Joe Biden’s physical and cognitive condition during his presidency, when questions about age and fitness became a near-constant feature of political coverage. Throughout Biden’s term, verbal slips, falls, medical checkups, and doctor statements were closely tracked, often dominating news cycles and campaign narratives for days at a time. By contrast, scrutiny of Trump’s health has tended to surface in shorter bursts, flaring after specific reports or visible moments before receding again, despite both men being of similar age. The contrast has become part of the political backdrop itself, with supporters and critics on both sides pointing to what they see as an imbalance in tone, intensity, and persistence, as media outlets recalibrate their focus while the 2024 race brings age and stamina back to the center of the national conversation.