Trump’s war on cartels enters new phase as experts predict what’s next
As the U.S. unleashes a series of lethal strikes on cartel drug boats and President Donald Trump declared an “armed conflict” with the cartels, experts gave insight on what Americans can expect to see next in the “quasi-war” taking place at the country’s doorstep. On Tuesday, Trump announced the U.S. military had carried out another kinetic strike on a suspected drug vessel off the coast of Venezuela, killing six suspected smugglers. This is the fifth of such strikes on a drug boat in the last several weeks and, according to experts, one of the first important steps to decimating the cartels. The strikes come after the White House sent Congress a memo on Sept. 30 informing them that the U.S. is now participating in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug smugglers. Currently, the U.S. has amassed an impressive collection of naval and air assets stationed around Venezuela, a country whose socialist dictator, Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration has accused of being in league with cartels. Experts say these strikes could mark the start of a broader military campaign targeting cartel logistics and command networks. WAR ON CARTELS? WHITE HOUSE SAYS IT HAS AN IRON-CLAD CASE TO STRIKE NARCO-TERRORIST GROUPS Speaking with Fox News Digital, Derek Maltz, former acting director of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), called the Trump administration’s moves “unprecedented action for an unprecedented threat.” He explained that, unlike in previous administrations, the second Trump administration has enabled a “whole of government” approach to targeting the cartels by designating them as “foreign terrorist organizations.” This designation empowers not just agencies like the DEA to take action against the cartels but also the Departments of War, State, Treasury, Justice and others. “This is not the same old drug crisis we’ve been talking about for 50 years. This is something totally different. This is a poisoning crisis and our kids are dying,” Maltz said, adding, “The cartels are killing more Americans than any other terrorist organization in the history of this country.” In response, Maltz said the president is “building a powerful force of good, an army of good, to help defeat evil and to actually destroy these adversaries that are killing our citizens at record levels.” Maltz said the first step was shutting down the border to stop the flow of fentanyl, meth, cocaine and other drugs, as well as criminal elements into the U.S. overland. This, Maltz explained, pushed the cartels to carry drugs via sea and air routes, which has prompted the Trump administration to crack down on those as well. HOW TRUMP’S STRIKES AGAINST ALLEGED NARCO-TERRORISTS ARE RESHAPING THE CARTEL BATTLEFIELD: ‘ONE-WAY TICKET’ He said that next the U.S. will need to hit the cartels’ command nodes, either working through international partners like Mexico and El Salvador or, like the drug boat strikes, directly through U.S. military assets. “Based on everything I’ve heard, the Mexican government is hitting labs very hard, making more arrests than they had… so they’re aggressively going after the cartels. They’re removing these really bad guys into America for prosecution.” Brent Sadler, a senior research fellow for naval warfare and advanced technology at the Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for National Security, described the conflict with cartels as a type of “quasi-war” in which the U.S. is fighting against not only non-state, paramilitary-style cartels but also indirectly against international enemies like Venezuela, Hezbollah and China that have been working with the cartels. “The demonstration of willingness to go and kill these cartel members while they’re moving their ships full of drugs sends a chilling effect through their support network,” he explained. “And when they start losing that ability to pay off their support network, the business model falls apart and they actually start fighting each other; they turn in on each other.” TRUMP REFUSES TO RULE OUT STRIKING VENEZUELA. WHAT’S NEXT FOR TRUMP’S WAR ON DRUGS? Sadler said that while the U.S. forces currently appear to be concentrated around Venezuela in the Caribbean, he expects the focus will eventually shift to the cartels’ drug routes in the Pacific as well as transatlantic routes to Africa and Europe. “I would not be surprised if you start to see the military hammer of this or the balance of the military assets shift either to the Pacific. Or if they shift over more to the Central Atlantic to go after these other routes.” He predicted that the sea strikes will continue and that if cartels start to shift to rely more on airplanes, Americans may start to see some of those being “shot out of the sky” in international airspace. Eventually, he said the strikes will likely be dialed down along with the scale of U.S. naval vessels in the Caribbean. As this happens, he said, the U.S. will likely both leverage its international partners and enable them to interdict drug vessels as well as sustain U.S. special operations capabilities, helicopters and aircraft operating out of Puerto Rico and other bases nearby, to provide overwatch and the ability to intercept ships. TRUMP APPROVES MILITARY ACTION AGAINST LATIN AMERICAN CARTELS CLASSIFIED AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS Both Sadler and Maltz emphasized the importance of hitting the cartels from every angle, using every available partner and government agency, even education. “We have to teach. We have to do a lot more work on the demand side,” said Maltz. He predicted that, once confirmed, Sara Carter, Trump’s pick for the head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, would “initiate a lot of educational programs” designed to educate on the dangers of the new drugs being pushed by cartels and other foreign adversaries. “We can hit boats, and we can go after command and control. But if we don’t teach our kids and our parents in this country about this devastating crisis with these very, very dangerous, lethal substances that we’ve never seen in this country in history, then they’re going to continue to find ways to get this stuff in here,” said Maltz.
Katie Porter says she regrets viral outbursts at reporter, staffer
California gubernatorial candidate and former Democratic lawmaker Katie Porter admitted she “could have handled things better” following the emergence of viral videos capturing her outbursts against a reporter and a staffer. In one of the videos, Porter became agitated with a reporter and nearly cut an interview short. In an older video that Politico reported is from 2021, the politician snapped at a staffer to “Get out of my f—ing shot!” after the person entered the video frame behind Porter. “When I look at those videos, I want people to know that I understand that I could have handled things better,” Porter said on the “Inside California Politics” show. “I think I’m known as someone who’s able to handle tough questions, who’s willing to answer questions, and I want people to know that I really value the incredible work that my staff can do.” “I think people who know me know I can be tough, but I need to do a better job expressing appreciation for the amazing work that my team does,” she added. KATIE PORTER INTERVIEW GOES VIRAL AS JOURNALISTS MARVEL AT DEMOCRAT’S MELTDOWN The clip of Porter threatening to walk out on CBS California correspondent Julie Watts during an interview went viral last week. Porter snapped at Watts’ questions, grew visibly impatient with her follow-ups and even attempted to leave at one point in frustration, calling the interviewer “argumentative.” After being pressed, Porter told Watts that she doesn’t “want to have an unhappy experience” with her and that she doesn’t “want this all on camera.” “I want to make sure that people understand why I am in this race and what I am fighting for. I think when I’m traveling the state, what I’m hearing from people is that they understand that we are in a very extraordinary moment,” Porter said this week on “Inside California Politics.” “That what is happening with Donald Trump attacking our economy and our society, our long-standing challenges with affordability, people know that they are going to need someone who is going to be strong, who is going to be tough, who is going to be a fighter and who is going to push.” DEMOCRAT ABRUPTLY ENDS BONKERS INTERVIEW AFTER REPEATEDLY BERATING REPORTER: ‘I DON’T CARE’ “I think if people are looking for someone who is going to sit in Sacramento quietly and kind of rubber-stamp things, that’s not me. But I absolutely could have handled things better,” she also said. In the other clip, then-Rep. Porter, D-Calif., was speaking remotely with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm about energy and climate issues. At one point, a staffer walks into the frame, prompting Porter to snap and yell, “Get out of my f—ing shot!” She also scolded the staffer for having appeared in the background before. “You were in my shot before that,” Porter said. “Stay out of my shot.” Porter revealed this week that she apologized to that staff member. “I expressed that I was sorry, that I had lost my temper, that I had been frustrated in the moment, and I told her I was grateful that she had taken the time to correct me,” she said. “We were able to redo the shot, I got the facts right.” Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg, Alexander Hall, David Rutz and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Trump’s redistricting push gains steam in another key state: ‘We will stand with the president’
Republican leaders in North Carolina’s GOP-dominated legislature say they’ll vote next week to redraw the state’s congressional district map as part of President Donald Trump’s nationwide effort to create more right-leaning House seats ahead of next year’s midterm elections. When state lawmakers in the key southeastern battleground meet in special session next Monday, they’ll become the latest state to jump into the high-stakes political battle over congressional redistricting, pitting Trump and the GOP against the Democrats. Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are aiming to follow in the footsteps of Republican-controlled Texas and Missouri, which passed new congressional maps the past two months. VOTING UNDERWAY IN ELECTION THAT MAY DETERMINE IF REPUBLICANS HOLD HOUSE IN NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERMS The moves are part of a broad effort by the GOP to pad its razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats. Democrats need a pickup of just three seats to win back control of the House. Trump and his political team are aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections. “We will stand with the president, defend the GOP majority, and secure an additional Republican congressional seat,” Republican North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall said Monday. WHAT STATES ARE NEXT UP IN THE CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING BATTLE North Carolina’s congressional delegation was split 7-7 between Democrats and Republicans until GOP state lawmakers created a new map two years ago that allowed Republicans to capture 10 of the state’s 14 congressional districts in last year’s elections. The latest new map Republicans aim to pass in the state legislature will likely target Democratic Rep. Ron Davis, whose district is the only one left in North Carolina that’s considered a true swing seat. Trump narrowly carried North Carolina in his 2016 presidential election victory, his 2020 re-election defeat, and his 2024 recapturing of the White House. Hall said that the president “earned a clear mandate from the voters of North Carolina and the rest of the country, and we intend to defend it by drawing an additional Republican Congressional seat.” But North Carolina House Democratic leader Robert Reives charged that Republicans in the legislature “are stealing a congressional district in order to shield themselves from accountability at the ballot box.” And Democratic Gov. Josh Stein highlighted in a statement that “the General Assembly works for North Carolina, not Donald Trump.” “These shameless politicians are abusing their power to take away yours. I will always fight for you because the voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around,” the governor added as he pointed to Republican state lawmakers. TRUMP’S SHADOW LOOMS OVER KEY 2025 ELECTIONS But the redistricting map that will likely be passed by the GOP-dominated legislature next week won’t be subject to a veto by the governor. Democrats are trying to fight back across the country. California state lawmakers approved a special ballot proposition this November to obtain voter approval to temporarily sidetrack the state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democrat-dominated legislature. The effort in California, which aims to create five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts and counter the shift of up to five seats in Texas, is being spearheaded by two-term Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is seen as a likely 2028 Democratic presidential contender. And Democrats in heavily blue Maryland and Illinois are weighing redistricting. Even before Trump initiated his redistricting push, Ohio was under court order to redraw its maps. That could boost Republicans in a one-time battleground state that now leans right. And Republicans in the GOP-dominated states of Indiana, Florida, and Nebraska are also mulling congressional redistricting. Meanwhile, Democrats could pick up a seat in Republican-dominated Utah. This, after the state legislature drew new maps after a judicial ruling that lawmakers four years ago ignored an independent commission approved by voters to prevent partisan gerrymandering.
Dem senator, 79, draws primary challenge from Rep Seth Moulton
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., is facing a challenger who is making age a central issue of his bid to unseat the longtime lawmaker. On Wednesday, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., launched his U.S. Senate campaign with a video called “Lesson,” referencing what his party learned during the last election cycle with then-President Joe Biden. “We’re in a crisis, and with everything we learned last election, I just don’t believe Senator Markey should be running for another six-year term at 80 years old. Even more, I don’t think someone who’s been in Congress for half a century is the right person to meet this moment and win the future,” Moulton said in his campaign launch video. Markey is 79 years old and will turn 80 before the 2026 election. SPECULATION SWIRLS AS AOC IS RUMORED TO HARBOR 2028 ASPIRATIONS: ‘SAVVY POLITICIAN’ “Senator Markey is a good man, but it’s time for a new generation of leadership,” Moulton asserted in the video. Markey was first elected to Congress in 1976 and served as a U.S. representative until 2013, when he became a senator. He has held his Senate seat for 12 years. In response to a request for comment, Moulton’s campaign referred Fox News Digital to a launch announcement. “Congressman Moulton has never been one to sit on the sidelines or wait to act when he sees a problem,” the announcement read. “When he didn’t feel the party was doing enough to win back the House the last time Trump was in office, he recruited and mentored fellow veterans through his organization, Serve America. His candidates flipped more than half the seats Democrats took back from Republicans nationwide, and have outperformed the party in every election since.” Moulton’s challenge could set the stage for a generational shift within the Democratic Party, which struggled last election cycle after Biden was forced to drop out of the race in July, leaving then-Vice President Kamala Harris with just 107 days to run her presidential campaign. She lost every swing state and the popular vote to now-President Donald Trump. SENATE DEMOCRATS ARE FEVERISHLY RECRUITING TOP CANDIDATES TO WIN BACK MAJORITY IN 2026 MIDTERMS This is not Moulton’s first time challenging the Democratic establishment. When Moulton was first elected to Congress in 2014, he defeated then-Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., who first made it to Congress in 1997. In 2018, Moulton attempted to challenge Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who was then House minority leader, in her bid to become House speaker. The move was criticized by some constituents who claimed Moulton’s actions were sexist and ageist, according to Politico. In 2020, Markey defeated Rep. Joe Kennedy III, who was 40 at the time. Politico noted that Markey took a swipe at Kennedy with a riff on his great uncle’s famous line, “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” Markey also mocked the idea that he was too old to keep his seat, saying, “With 500 laws on the books, you think I’m gonna stop now? They wish.” Markey will be put to the test once again in November 2026. If he defeats Moulton, Markey will be 86 at the end of his next term. Fox News Digital reached out to Markey’s office for comment.
FIFA World Cup 2026: The best pictures from the latest qualified teams
The latest round of qualifiers around the globe for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has seen the number of entrants rise to 28. Published On 14 Oct 202514 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at some of the best photos from the nations that confirmed their qualification on Wednesday for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Qatar’s defender Assim Madibo, left, drops to the floor to celebrate with Qatar’s Spanish coach Julian Lopetegui after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian qualifier football match against the UAE [Karim Jaafar/AFP] Qatar’s players celebrate at the full-time whistle against UAE as they reached a World Cup final for the first time through the qualification route [Karim Jaafar/AFP] Qatar’s players celebrate their achievement with fans at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha [Karim Jaafar/AFP] South Africa fans celebrate after qualifying for the FIFA World Cup following their victory against Rwanda [Esa Alexander/Reuters] A South Africa fan holds a scarf with his national’s football team’s nickname, Bafana Bafana, on it [Esa Alexander/Reuters] Another South Africa fan made sure she dressed for a party as the team secured qualification for the 2026 finals [Esa Alexander/Reuters] South Africa’s Evidence Makgopa celebrates scoring their third goal against Rwanda with teammates, a strike that was enough to put one foot in the finals for Bafana Bafana [Esa Alexander/Reuters] England captain Harry Kane looks towards the fans after the team’s victory in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match in Latvia clinched their place at the 2026 finals [Carl Recine/Getty Images] Ivory Coast celebrate qualifying for the World Cup following their win against Kenya at Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan, Ivory Coast [Luc Gnago/Reuters] A sea of orange will descend on the 2026 finals when Ivory Coast fans travel to support their team [Luc Gnago/Reuters] Saudi Arabia’s sport minister, Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, celebrates after Saudi Arabia qualified for the FIFA World Cup following their victory against Iraq [Reuters] Saudi Arabia players celebrate after qualifying for the FIFA World Cup at King Abdullah Sport City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia [Reuters] Senegal’s Sadio Mane, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side’s first goal during their World Cup group B qualifying win against Mauritania [Misper Apawu/AP] Senegal’s supporters cheer during the World Cup group B qualifying match against Mauritania at the Stade Abdoulaye Wade in Dakar, Senegal [Misper Apawu/AP] A Senegal supporter supplies another example of the sights that will be on display at next year’s FIFA World Cup [Misper Apawu/AP] Adblock test (Why?)
LIVE: Israel restricts aid into Gaza; Hamas releases bodies of 4 captives
blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, Handover comes as Trump says Hamas must disarm or be disarmed, ‘perhaps violently’. Published On 15 Oct 202515 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,329
Here are the key events from day 1,329 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Published On 15 Oct 202515 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Here is how things stand on Wednesday, October 15, 2025: Fighting Russian forces launched powerful glide bombs and drones against Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, in overnight attacks, hitting the city’s main hospital, wounding seven people, and forcing the evacuation of 50 patients, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said that its forces have taken control of the village of Balahan in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. A convoy of United Nations vehicles carrying aid supplies came under fire from Russian forces near the town of Bilozerka in the Kherson region, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, describing the attack as “utterly unacceptable”. There were no injuries in the attack on four UN trucks, two of which were set on fire by remote-controlled drones. Local authorities have ordered the evacuation of families from dozens of villages near the all-but-destroyed northeastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk, citing the “worsening security situation”. Oleh Syniehubov, governor of Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, said that a total of 409 families with 601 children were told to leave 27 localities. Another official in the affected area later told public broadcaster Suspilne that the list of localities to be evacuated by families had been expanded to 40. Russia will be able to deploy about 2 million military reservists to fight in Ukraine if needed under amendments to a law likely to be backed by the Russian parliament, according to reports. Power outages were reported in the Ukrainian capital and other regions late on Tuesday due to a network overload and the aftermath of Russian attacks, the Kyiv City State Administration said. Power was cut in three central Kyiv districts on the west bank of the Dnipro River running through the city. Ukrenergo, which operates Ukraine’s high-voltage lines, said that lingering problems from Russian attacks on the country’s energy system had triggered outages in regions across northern, central and southeastern Ukraine. Work is to begin this week to restore external power links to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, which has been running on emergency diesel generators for three weeks. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to international organisation based in Vienna, told the Russian state news agency RIA that it was “vital to agree on a local ceasefire in areas where the repair work is to be carried out”. Military aid Advertisement NATO defence ministers will meet on Wednesday to try to drum up more military support for Ukraine amid a sharp drop in deliveries of weapons and ammunition to the war-ravaged country in recent months. European military aid to Ukraine declined sharply this summer, despite a recent NATO initiative in which member countries bought US weapons and transferred them to Kyiv, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy said. The United Kingdom has delivered more than 85,000 military drones to Ukraine over the last six months, Secretary of State for Defence John Healey has said, according to the Press Association. German Federal Minister of Finance Lars Klingbeil said his country would continue to “financially secure Ukraine’s defence capabilities for the next few years”, while also working with the US to “massively increase pressure on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to end his brutal war of aggression”. Politics and diplomacy Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stripped the mayor of the port city of Odesa, Gennadiy Trukhanov, of his Ukrainian citizenship after it was discovered he held Russian citizenship. Trukhanov could now face deportation. Trukhanov denied the claim, saying, “I am a citizen of Ukraine”, and said he would challenge the decision in Ukraine’s Supreme Court and, if necessary, the European Court of Human Rights. Zelenskyy said he would appoint a military administration to govern Odesa, citing unresolved security concerns. Ukraine prohibits dual citizenship with Russia, and Trukhanov has long faced allegations of holding both. A Kyiv government source told the AFP news agency that Ukrainian ballet dancer Sergei Polunin had also been stripped of citizenship. Polunin has been a vocal supporter of the Russian president. Pro-Kremlin politician Oleg Tsaryov, who survived an assassination attempt in 2023, was also among those who had their Ukrainian citizenship revoked, according to AFP. United States President Donald Trump said he was “very disappointed” with Russian leader Putin in advance of a planned visit by Zelenskyy to Washington, DC, later this week. “I don’t know why he continues with this war,” Trump said of Putin. Zelenskyy is set to meet Trump in Washington, DC, on Friday, where the two will discuss Ukraine’s air defence and long-range strike capabilities. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said she was focusing on Russian attacks on her country’s energy grid in talks this week with US officials. Svyrydenko described the priorities of her visit to Washington, DC, as “energy, sanctions and the development of cooperation with the USA in new ways that can strengthen both our countries”. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had opened a criminal case against exiled Russian businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky and other prominent Kremlin critics, accusing them of plotting to violently seize power. The FSB said it was investigating all 22 members of the Russian Antiwar Committee – a group of Russian politicians, businesspeople, journalists, lawyers, artists and academics all based outside the country, who oppose Russia’s war on Ukraine. Regional security Advertisement Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslaw Sikorski warned that Europe must be prepared for Russia to strike deep into the region, calling it “irresponsible” not to build defences such as a “drone wall” on its eastern flank. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has accused China of undermining the international rules-based order through its increasingly aggressive policies in Asia and its support for Russia. Wadephul also criticised Russia, saying Moscow is testing NATO’s resolve, violating European Union and NATO airspace, spying on Germany’s critical infrastructure and seeking to influence public discourse with propaganda and disinformation. Trump
BIG development in Durgapur rape case, survivor’s friend arrested as police rule out gang-rape
He was taken into custody on Monday evening and will be presented before a court on Wednesday. Police have also ruled out charges of gang-rape in the case, saying there appears to be a single perpetrator involved in the sexual assault. Read on for more on this.
After Durgapur case, 18-year-old student in Delhi allegedly gang-raped on university campus
The police case has been filed under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), with charges including kidnapping and gang-rape. The incident comes just days after a medical college student was allegedly raped near the institute by a male classmate in Durgapur, West Bengal.
Indian Army DGMO issues BIG statement on Operation Sindoor: ‘Pakistani air assets…’
The Indian Navy too had sailed into the Arabian sea, waiting to launch a response if the Pakistani side decided to take it any further, the DGMO revealed. “Indian Navy was also very much in action,” the DGMO said.