U.S. military forces conducted a lethal strike on a vessel in the Caribbean on February 13, killing three individuals suspected of being involved in drug trafficking, according to the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). The operation, which targeted a vessel operated by "Designated Terrorist Organizations," was carried out at the direction of SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan.
Aerial footage released by SOUTHCOM showed the vessel being struck. The strike occurred amid other significant news, including the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) efforts to identify individuals critical of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and a looming government shutdown. The DHS has sent legal requests to tech companies like Google, Reddit, Discord, and Meta, seeking identifying information for social media accounts that track or criticize the agency, according to four government officials and tech employees. Google, Meta, and Reddit have complied with some of these requests.
Simultaneously, lawmakers departed Washington, D.C., for a security conference in Munich or a weeklong recess, seemingly unconcerned with the impending closure of the Department of Homeland Security, which was facing a funding deadline. This contrasted with past instances where lawmakers were reluctant to appear to be giving up on averting a government shutdown.
In other news, an Arizona family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a hospital after their 27-year-old son died hours after being discharged and left on a sidewalk. The family of Kaelen Lachica alleges that staffers at Abrazo Health Arrowhead put their son in an Uber and had him dropped off outside a homeless shelter in Phoenix, despite his deteriorating condition. "What they did is abandonment. I mean, they absolutely killed my son," said Seth Lachica, the father of Kaelen.
Additionally, reports surfaced of ICE agents allegedly menacing Minnesota protesters at their homes. Daniel Woo, a sound designer, followed an SUV associated with ICE agents, which eventually led to his neighborhood.
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