TRUMP: ‘WE CAN’T FIND A SHIP’: It’s one of President Donald Trump’s current favorite talking points. His war on drug-running speedboats has been so effective that no one dares to go to sea anymore in the Caribbean or eastern Pacific. Wearing a white USA cap and addressing sailors and Marines on the USS George Washington in Japan, Trump claimed, as he has many times in recent days, that the suspected drug boats have vanished.
“Those drug ships aren’t coming in anymore. We can’t find a ship. There’s no ships coming in with drugs,” Trump told the troops, while vowing a no-holds-barred campaign against the Venezuelan drug cartels that could soon involve attacks on their land bases.
“Unlike past administrations, we will not be politically correct,” Trump said. “We’re going to defend our country any way we have to. And that’s usually not the politically correct way. From now on, if we’re in a war, we’re going to win the war. We’re going to win it like nobody ever before. We’d go in, we’d blast the hell out of countries.”
“You’ve been watching what our missiles do to boats and ships and submarines. How about the submarine?” Trump said. “They said no, that was just fishing. The radical left Democrats said, ‘Well, it was a submarine, but they were just fishing.’ Submarines don’t go fishing, do they?”
“We’re finally waging war on the cartels. We’re waging war like they’ve never seen before. And we’re going to win that battle. We’re winning it already. I mean, the only problem is nobody wants to go into the sea anymore,” he said.
HEGSETH: ‘WE’RE DEFENDING OUR OWN’: While Trump was declaring victory at sea, his War Secretary Pete Hegseth was announcing the 12th strike by U.S. forces since Sept. 2 on four vessels, which he said were “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific.”
The infrared video images attached to the post on X showed three separate attacks. One targeted what appeared to be two boats in which cargo was being moved from one to the other. Two other video clips showed boats moving at high speed when they were hit by what appeared to be missiles that set them ablaze.
“A total of 14 narco-terrorists were killed during the three strikes, with one survivor. All strikes were in international waters with no U.S. forces harmed,” Hegseth said, adding that the sole survivor was picked up by a search and rescue team from Mexico, which has been alerted by the U.S.
“The Department has spent over TWO DECADES defending other homelands. Now, we’re defending our own,” Hegseth said. “These narco-terrorists have killed more Americans than Al-Qaeda, and they will be treated the same. We will track them, we will network them, and then, we will hunt and kill them.”
The latest strikes bring the number of suspected drug runners killed to 57, according to a tally from the New York Times.
NEW US BOAT STRIKES IN EASTERN PACIFIC RAISES DEATH TOLL TO MORE THAN 50
STAVRIDIS: ‘THE REAL TARGET HERE IS VENEZUELA’: In an opinion piece published by Bloomberg, retired Adm. James Stavridis, a former head of the U.S. Southern Command, has fleshed out what Trump has been hinting at, and many observers have concluded, namely that the amount of U.S. military firepower being amassed off the coast of Venezuela is greatly in excess of what is required for counter-drug operations.
“I am astounded by the level of military force gathering in the Southern Command’s area of operations. When the USS Gerald Ford strike group arrives early next month, there will be at least a dozen major warships, including the nuclear-powered carrier featuring 80 combat aircraft and 5,000 sailors; an amphibious readiness group with big-deck ships, almost as large as carriers, each with 3,000 sailors and Marines; an assortment of guided-missile destroyers; and the secretive special-forces warship Ocean Trader,” Stavridis wrote. He noted when he was in charge, SOUTHCOM was an “economy of force” theater, where when it came to resources he was left with “crumbs under the table.”
There is, he said, only one logical conclusion. “The real target here is Venezuela, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is clearly signaling that land strikes are imminent,” Stavridis said. “The justification will be President Nicolás Maduro’s involvement in drug trafficking, which kills tens of thousands of Americans each year.”
Stavridis provided his expert opinion on how a campaign might play out, what might be targeted, and what weapons and strategy might be employed. He posited that any military action will likely end with Maduro either fleeing the country or being captured or killed by the U.S. forces.
“The question is whether after the early set of U.S. anti-narcotics strikes, Maduro departs to a hacienda near Havana or a dacha outside Moscow,” Stavridis wrote. “Should he stay to fight it out, would Russia or China come to his rescue? That seems highly unlikely, given the distances, risk to their own forces, and highly uncertain likelihood of success.”
“If Maduro tried to stay in power, the special forces embarked on Ocean Trader could be called into action to kill or ‘snatch and grab’ him (there is a $50 million bounty from U.S. law enforcement for his capture or death). The dictator would no doubt be constantly on the move and difficult to pin down, but I wouldn’t bet against U.S. special forces.”
US PREPARES FOR POSSIBLE EXPANSION FROM ANTI-SMUGGLING BOAT STRIKES TO TARGETS IN VENEZUELA
Good Wednesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre.
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HAPPENING TODAY: NEW TARGET ON THE BACK OF DOD CIVILIANS: The Washington Post obtained a War Department memo outlining a new process for firing or forcing out Defense Department civilian employees that bypasses the protections usually accorded federal workers.
The memo, with the subject line “Separation of Employees with Unacceptable Performance,” was discovered posted on an obscure, non-public-facing part of the Pentagon’s website. It directs supervisors and human resources professionals “to act with speed and conviction to facilitate the separation from federal service of employees performing unsuccessfully.”
The streamlined process removes the requirement that workers who are deemed to be doing substandard work be given feedback and benchmarks to improve their work performance. Instead, they will get seven days to respond once they have been targeted for removal.
The memo outlines several “incentive” options to convince unwanted civilian workers to sign away their rights and agree not to sue, including taking early retirement, deferring resignation for three months, or accepting a $25,000 exit payment.
TRUMP: ‘MORE THAN THE NATIONAL GUARD’: In his hourlong speech to U.S. troops in Japan on Tuesday, President Trump at one point said his fight against crime in American cities may require more military force than simply the National Guard, “whether people like that or not.”
“We’re going to go into our cities, we’re going to clean them out, we’re going to straighten them out, and we’re going to have safe cities, because you want to protect safe cities. We’re going to have beautiful, safe cities,” Trump said. “People don’t care if we send in our military, if we send in our National Guard, if we send in Space Command, they don’t care who the hell it is, they just want to be safe.”
“We can’t have cities that are troubled, and we’re sending in our National Guard. And if we need more than the National Guard, we’ll send more than the National Guard because we’re going to have safe cities,” Trump said. “We’re not going to have people killed in our cities. And whether people like that or not, that’s what we’re doing.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: US prepares for possible expansion from anti-smuggling boat strikes to targets in Venezuela
Washington Examiner: New US boat strikes in eastern Pacific raises death toll to more than 50
Washington Examiner: Takaichi channels Abe in courting Trump as president affirms new friendship
Washington Examiner: Netanyahu orders ‘powerful’ strikes in Gaza in move that threatens ceasefire
Washington Examiner: Hamas in panic mode after Israel accuses it of faking hostage remains recovery
Washington Examiner: Trump’s Milei gamble pays off as US flexes influence in Latin American elections
Washington Examiner: Trump touts ‘$18 trillion’ of investments in US, blasts Jerome ‘too late’ Powell as ‘incompetent’
Washington Examiner: Over 2 million illegal immigrants have left US under Trump 2.0: DHS
Washington Examiner: Trump declares the US as ‘hottest country’ in opening remarks in South Korea
Washington Examiner: Senate rebukes Trump with tariff vote despite JD Vance’s warning
Washington Examiner: Air Force base ‘deeply saddened’ after three killed in ‘double murder-suicide’
Washington Examiner: Vance says troops to be paid despite shutdown but warns of ‘limited pot of money’
Washington Examiner: Tom Rogan Opinion: Why does Trump tolerate Viktor Orban’s many insults?
AP: Israel’s military says ceasefire is back on as death toll from overnight strikes in Gaza reaches 104
Washington Post: Israelis bristle as Trump makes clear who calls the shots in Gaza truce
AP: US sought to lure Nicolás Maduro’s pilot into betraying the Venezuelan leader
Defense News: Heavy Russian Cargo Plane Lands in Caracas amid US-Venezuela Tensions
Wall Street Journal: Putin Uses Old Missile Technology to Send a New Message to the West
Washington Post: Ukrainians clinging on to Pokrovsk after year of fighting
AP: US strike on Yemen prison that killed dozens of African migrants may be war crime, Amnesty says
AP: White House urged firing live bombs, not dummies, for Trump’s visit to Navy celebration: AP sources
AP: Trump’s decision to send aircraft carrier to South America will leave Mideast and Europe with none
Bloomberg: Opinion: The US Armada in the Caribbean Is After Maduro — Not Drugs
Washington Times: Senate Republicans abandon ‘piecemeal’ plan to ease shutdown pain
AP: Vice President Vance says troops will be paid as pressure builds on Congress to end the shutdown
Washington Post: Appeals court will reconsider whether Trump can send troops to Portland
Stars and Stripes: Senate Panel Advances Wilsbach for Air Force Chief
Breaking Defense: ‘We Must Not Be Deterred’: Pacific Fleet Boss Stresses Operations Inside Enemy Range
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Pentagon Nominee on Consolidating Space Force and NRO: ‘Open to All Options’
The War Zone: China’s Massive J-36 Stealth ‘Fighter’ Gets Major Design Tweaks with Second Prototype
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Pentagon Tech Nominees Say They’ll Stress Speed to Service for New Capabilities
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Crew Forced Back to Base by Excessive Turbulence in Hurricane Melissa
Space.com: NASA’s X-59 ‘Quiet’ Supersonic Jet Makes Historic 1st Flight
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Shutdown Relief: Where Airmen and Guardians Can Turn for Help
Washington Post: In South Korea, a crown for a U.S. president who loves glittering gifts
Military Strategy Magazine: Colin Gray, the RMA, and the Rise of Drone Warfare
THE CALENDAR:
WEDNESDAY | OCTOBER 29
7:30 a.m. — Government Executive Media Group and Google Public Sector Summit virtual discussion: Leadership for a New Era,” with former Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, president, University of Texas at El Paso; and former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein https://cloudonair.withgoogle.com/events/public-sector-summit
11 a.m. Charlottesville, Virginia — University of Virginia Miller Center in-person and virtual discussion: “AI, national security, and democratic accountability,” with Ashley Deeks, Miller Center faculty senior fellow, and vice dean of the University of Virginia School of Law; Brian Lessenberry, senior national security practitioner; and Philip Potter, Miller Center faculty senior fellow https://millercenter.org/news-events/events/ai-national-security-and-democratic-accountability
11 a.m. 37th and O Sts. NW — Georgetown University discussion: “Current topics important to the transatlantic relationship, including trade and American-European cooperation on Ukraine,” with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola https://events.georgetown.edu/sfs/event/35388-a-conversation-with-roberta-metsola
1:30 p.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution Knight Forum on Geopolitics, with House Armed Services ranking member Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA); and Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) https://www.brookings.edu/events/the-2025-knight-forum-on-geopolitics/
4 p.m. 600 Pennsylvania Ave. SE — Progressive Policy Institute discussion: “Is the Ukraine War Spilling into Europe?” with Estonia Ambassador to the U.S. Kristjan Prikk; Tamar Jacoby, director, PPI New Ukraine Project; Dalibor Rohac, senior fellow for foreign policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute; and Laura Kelly, foreign policy reporter at The Hill https://www.progressivepolicy.org/event/is-the-ukraine-war-spilling-into-europe
4 p.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “The Challenge of Supply Chain Resilience for Aerospace and Defense,” with Cordell Hull, executive vice president and head of U.S. public affairs at Samsung Electronics America; Ian Pain CEO of RENK America; Elisabeth Smith, president and CEO of Acutec Precision Aerospace; Tressa Guenov, director of programs and operations and senior fellow, Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security; and Steven Grundman, senior fellow for forward defense at Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/supply-chain-resilience-for-aerospace-and-defense/
5:30 p.m. — Peterson Institute for International Economics virtual discussion: “Congress’s role in the trade war,” with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA); Sen. Rand Paul ( R-KY); and Chad Bown, PIIE senior fellow https://www.piie.com/events/2025/congresss-role-trade-war-bipartisan-conversation
THURSDAY | OCTOBER 30
9:30 a.m. G-50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the nomination of Vice Adm. Richard Correll to be commander, U.S. Strategic Command. http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
10: 30 a.m. — Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies virtual discussion: “Middle East Security and Europe Role After the Gaza Plan,” with Sanam Vakil, adjunct professor, SAIS Europe; and Nathalie Tocci, professor of practice, Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe and director, Isituto Affari Internazionali https://sais.jhu.edu/campus-events?
11 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “How Long Can Russia Weakening Economy Support Putin War on Ukraine?” with Volodymyr Lugovskyy, professor, Indiana University; Anders Aslund, adjunct professor, Georgetown University; and Thomas Duesterberg, Hudson senior fellow https://www.hudson.org/events/how-long-can-russias-weakening-economy-support-putins-war
4:30 p.m. 125 E St. NW — American Academy of Political and Social Science Daniel Patrick Moynihan Lecture: “Ukrainian Humanity: Rethinking How History Is Told,” with Ukraine Ambassador to the U.S. Olga Stefanishyna; Timothy Snyder, chair in modern European history at the University of Toronto; Angela Stent, professor emeritus of government and foreign service at Georgetown University and senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; and Alexa Chopivsky, executive director, Women Foreign Policy Group https://2025moynihanlecture.rsvpify.com/
