The U.S. military has launched a new wave of lethal strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the eastern Pacific, pushing the death toll past 100 and accelerating a campaign that has moved beyond traditional drug interdictions at sea.

The strikes, carried out Dec. 17 and 18 in international waters, targeted three additional vessels that the U.S. military said were tied to narco-terrorist networks operating along major drug smuggling routes in the region. The latest military action follows strikes on Dec. 15 that killed eight people aboard three boats, pushing the number of casualties beyond 100 people since strikes commenced in September. The newest action marks the most aggressive phase yet of a campaign the Trump administration has framed as an armed conflict aimed at disrupting illicit drug flows before they reach the United States.

U.S. officials said intelligence showed the vessels were actively engaged in narcotics trafficking when they were struck. U.S. Southern Command said no U.S. personnel were injured and released video showing boats maneuvering in open water moments before being destroyed in what it described as lethal kinetic strikes. A Pentagon duty officer directed Military.com to a post outlining the latest strikes and imagery tied to the operation.

U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Pacific have raised legal questions among lawmakers and foreign policy experts as the Trump administration expands the use of lethal force in counter-narcotics operations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Monday suspended leases for five large-scale offshore wind projects under construction along the East Coast due to what it said were national security risks identified by the Pentagon.

The suspension, effective immediately, is the latest step by the administration to hobble offshore wind in its push against renewable energy sources. It comes two weeks after a federal judge struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking wind energy projects, calling it unlawful.

The administration said the pause will give the Interior Department, which oversees offshore wind, time to work with the Defense Department and other agencies to assess the possible ways to mitigate any security risks posed by the projects. The statement did not detail the national security risks. It called the move a pause, but did not specify an end date.

“The prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. “Today’s action addresses emerging national security risks, including the rapid evolution of the relevant adversary technologies, and the vulnerabilities created by large-scale offshore wind projects with proximity near our east coast population centers.”

Wind proponents slammed the move, saying it was another blow in an ongoing attack by the administration against clean energy. The administration’s decision to cite potential national security risks could complicate legal challenges to the move, although wind supporters say those arguments are overstated.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is expected to announce plans Monday to build a new, large warship that President Donald Trump is calling a “battleship” as part of a larger vision to create a "Golden Fleet," according to people familiar with the plans.

Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, who is now a senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and familiar with the discussions, said the announcement will include a new, large “surface combatant class” of ship and as many as 50 support ships.

The announcement will come just a month after the Navy scrapped its plans to build a new, small warship, citing growing delays and cost overruns, deciding instead to go with a modified version of a Coast Guard cutter that was being produced until recently.

Trump is to be joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Navy Secretary John Phelan for what is being billed by the White House as a “major announcement.”

Trump plans to discuss a shipbuilding initiative, according to a White House official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

It’s being unveiled at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort while he vacations in Florida and as U.S. forces take part in operations in the Caribbean that Trump says are aimed at stemming the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. and beyond and mounting pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government.

Montgomery said that while he supports the idea to build more support ships, he was critical of the plan to build a new battleship-like warship.