The latest military attack has tragically increased the death toll of the ongoing campaign to approximately 65 individuals, including one man who is now presumed dead following unsuccessful search efforts by the Mexican Navy. This incident is tied to a prior engagement where the United States described a survivor of an attack that occurred on October 27 in the eastern Pacific Ocean. A diverse group of legal specialists focusing on the laws governing the use of force have condemned these killings as illegal, highlighting that military forces cannot intentionally target civilians who do not pose an immediate threat of violence, even if they are considered criminal suspects.
The current administration asserts that these military strikes are lawful, claiming that President Trump has designated the United States as being in a formal armed conflict with drug cartels. Currently, the Pentagon has deployed around 10,000 U.S. troops both on land and at sea in the region, with an additional 5,000 troops en route aboard the aircraft carrier Ford and its supporting warships. On Saturday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded affirmatively to the President’s comments, stating that the Pentagon is “preparing for action.”
The ongoing violence against innocent Christians in Nigeria has drawn international concern. Hegseth emphasized that such killings must cease immediately, stating, “Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists committing these horrible atrocities.” This statement follows President Trump’s announcement that he would officially designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern due to severe violations of religious freedom. Trump voiced on social media that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” pointing out that thousands of Christians are subjected to targeted violence, a claim echoed by various evangelical groups and U.S. lawmakers.
In response, Nigeria has firmly denied these allegations. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu defended his government’s efforts to protect religious groups, asserting that the characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not accurately represent the nation’s reality. He stated that the government consistently makes sincere efforts to safeguard the freedom of religion for all Nigerians, pushing back against Trump’s claims.
However, Trump’s threat of military intervention faces significant challenges. The United States had previously withdrawn its forces from Niger, which borders Nigeria to the north. Airstrikes would likely aim to target small, dispersed groups across a vast area. Analysts suggest that effective military action would necessitate cooperation from the Nigerian military and government, which Trump has also threatened to cut off from U.S. assistance.
Nigeria, home to about 220 million people, has long struggled with violence from extremist groups, including Boko Haram, which targets both Christians and Muslims who they deem insufficiently devout. Additionally, the country faces threats from secessionists in the south and criminal organizations notorious for kidnappings in the northwest. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom found in 2024 that extremist violence affects many Christians and Muslims across multiple states in Nigeria.
President Trump has also initiated a campaign to reduce American aid worldwide, including efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has been integral in distributing foreign aid. Nigeria has been a significant recipient of U.S. global health funding, relying on this aid for around 21% of its national health budget.
In domestic news, President Trump indicated that food stamp aid might face delays in November, stating that payments would only commence once he received “appropriate legal direction” from the court system. This situation arose after Judge McConnell instructed the Trump administration to utilize an existing emergency reserve to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) starting Saturday, as the typical budget was set to expire.
Without this intervention, the administration’s actions could have cut off assistance to roughly one in eight Americans enrolled in the program. The judge's ruling raised logistical questions, as the SNAP reserve totals approximately $5 billion, insufficient to cover the full monthly benefits of about $8 billion. Even if the reserve is tapped, Agriculture Department officials warned that benefits might need to be reduced by over half, creating a potential delay in payments due to technical challenges.
On Saturday, Judge McConnell refined his ruling, offering a timeline for partial payments by Wednesday and encouraging federal officials to explore additional funding sources to expedite the distribution of SNAP benefits. He highlighted a fund at the Agriculture Department, primarily composed of tariff revenue, which could facilitate the payments. The judge ordered that full benefits be disbursed by Monday to mitigate the “irreparable harm” facing families.
As the Trump administration considers its options, including the potential for an appeal, the Justice Department hinted at the necessity of “emergency relief” in a recent court filing. A spokesman for the agency has yet to respond to requests for comment.
