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A U.S. military strike targets a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific.
(Image: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth via Twitter)

SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES

U.S. Military Expands Counter-Narcotics Strikes to Pacific Ocean

The U.S. military struck a suspected drug cartel vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people. This is the first strike outside the Caribbean and the eighth against suspected drug vessels since early September.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned traffickers face "no safe harbor anywhere in our hemisphere."

President Donald Trump said the ongoing strikes against drug cartel vessels have reduced the number of boats smuggling drugs into the U.S. and that similar action will be taken if traffickers shift to land routes. Caribbean operations have killed at least 32 people so far. (Read More)

U.S. Lifts Restrictions on Ukraine's Long-Range Missile Strikes

The Trump administration has lifted restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied long-range missiles for strikes inside Russia, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The shift reportedly followed an internal change in Pentagon authority, transferring strike approval from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the top U.S. commander in Europe and NATO’s air chief. The report surfaced a day after Ukraine used a British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missile to destroy a munitions and rocket fuel depot in Bryansk.

President Donald Trump dismissed the report as “fake news,” saying the U.S. has “nothing to do with those missiles” and no role in how Ukraine employs them. (Read More)

Ukrainian Drones Strike Oil Refinery and Munitions Plant Deep Inside Russia

Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Makhachkala, Dagestan, and a mechanical plant in Saransk, Mordovia, on Wednesday, according to Kyiv’s military intelligence.

Ukraine said the Dagestan strike disabled a key oil processing unit, triggering a large fire. Explosions were also reported at the Saransk Mechanical Plant, which produces anti-personnel munitions, mine-laying systems, and detonators.

The attacks came shortly after Ukraine’s Storm Shadow missile strike on the Bryansk Chemical Plant. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted 44 drones overnight, including eight over Dagestan. (Read More)

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TEARLINE

CONFLICT UPDATES

➤ Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw large-scale nuclear drills involving intercontinental ballistic missile launches on Wednesday, the Kremlin said. The exercises, which tested Russia’s full nuclear triad from land, sea, and air, took place a day after a planned meeting between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump was unexpectedly canceled. (Read More)

➤ The Pakistani navy seized nearly $1 billion worth of narcotics from two vessels in the Arabian Sea while operating under the Saudi-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). The operation recovered more than two tonnes of methamphetamine, 350 kilograms of ICE, and 50 kilograms of cocaine. The CMF withheld details on the vessels’ origins, saying they were identified as “having no nationality.” (Read More)

➤ Hamas’ Radea security unit on Tuesday carried out an operation in southern Gaza against Yasser Abu Shabab’s Popular Forces militia. Hamas accused the faction of collaborating with Israel and said the raid led to several arrests and the seizure of “military equipment and tools.” (Read More)

SECURITY UPDATES

➤ US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that China’s dominance over rare earth supplies threatens global supply chains and defense industries. The International Energy Agency reports that Beijing controls 61 percent of rare earth production and 92 percent of processing. Rare earth materials are essential for manufacturing F-35 jets, Virginia-class submarines, and Tomahawk missiles. (Read More)

➤ Gunmen have kidnapped American missionary pilot Kevin Rideout in Niger’s capital, Niamey, according to security sources. Authorities believe the abductors fled toward the Tillabéri region, and search and rescue operations are underway to secure his release. Rideout has been in Niger since 2010, training aviation pilots for evangelical, medical, and humanitarian missions across the Sahel. (Read More)

➤ Riots erupted outside a migrant housing hotel in Dublin during protests over the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl by an asylum seeker on Monday. A police van was set ablaze, officers were attacked with bricks and fireworks, and a helicopter was targeted with a laser. Authorities condemned the “thuggery” and pledged to restore order. (Read More)

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES

➤ The U.S. Army’s irregular warfare unit is evaluating FN America’s new 6.5x43mm Lightweight Intermediate Caliber Cartridge weapon system. Developed with the Army Marksmanship Unit, the lightweight round and rifle-machingun combo are being tested even after the Army approved the 6.8x51mm and M7/M250, raising questions about its long-term small-arms direction. (Read More)

➤ Shield AI is set to unveil its autonomous fighter jet, the X-Bat, capable of vertical takeoff and landing, flying up to 50,000 feet, and covering a 2,000-mile range. The AI-piloted jet uses Shield AI’s Hivemind software, which has also flown F-16s autonomously. It is expected to cost around $27 million, significantly less than the $100 million F-35. (Read More)

➤ Sweden and Ukraine have signed a letter of intent that could see Kyiv receive up to 150 Gripen E fighter jets over the next decade. Announced after talks between Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the agreement marks Sweden’s largest potential aircraft export to date, with first deliveries expected in 2026. (Read More)

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ASSIGNMENTS

Management & Leadership

General Manager

Competitive

College Station, TX

Chief of Staff

$145K - $170K

Phoenix, AZ

Program Delivery and
Business Development Manager

Competitive

Remote, USA

Engineering & Technology

Controls Engineer

$80K - $120K

Easley, SC

Sr Aeromechanical Engineer

$145K - $175K

Camarillo, CA

Sr/Principal UAS GNC Engineer

$160K - $220K

Camarillo, CA

Director of Engineering

$185K - $215K

Phoenix, AZ

Technology Vendor Manager

$70K - $110K

Jacksonville, FL

VIEW BOARD

PMC & Security

Cultural Support Operator

Defense Division

Worldwide

Humanitarian Security Officer

Defense Division

Worldwide

Interpreter

Defense Division

Remote

Medic

Defense Division

Remote

Specialized Drone Operator

Defense Division

Remote

VIEW BOARD

SPECIAL CATEGORY

➤ Hundreds of public figures, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, have called for a pause on developing AI “superintelligence.” The statement, signed by more than 850 experts including AI pioneers Yoshua Bengio and Geoff Hinton, warns that unchecked superintelligence could pose risks to human freedom, security, and survival.

➤ The Marine Corps is increasingly focusing on information groups to dominate modern battlefields. These brigade-sized formations, such as the II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, integrate intelligence, cyber, electronic warfare, and communications to blind, mislead, and disrupt adversaries, turning information control into a decisive combat advantage across operations.

➤ Allan Brooks, a Canadian father, spiraled into delusions after obsessively interacting with ChatGPT, convinced he had uncovered a new form of math. His behavior, including neglecting food and sleep, ended when Google’s Gemini chatbot corrected him, leading OpenAI’s Stephen Adler to study the exchanges and produce an AI safety report.

On this day in history: On October 23, 1998, the U.S. brokered a peace deal between Yasser Arafat and Benjamin Netanyahu. The agreement exchanged Palestinian land for Israeli security guarantees, with oversight from the CIA. Both Israeli and Palestinian extremists denounced the accord. President Clinton also agreed to release Jonathan Pollard, imprisoned for spying for Israel 11 years earlier.

SENTIMENT COLLECTION

Who do you think will be TIME's Person of the Year for 2025?

AI, Person of the Year won't even be a person

Pope Leo XIV, first American pope is historic

Donald Trump, for the third time

Sam Altman, for creating the AI that could win Person of the Year

Other, I got my bets on someone else

Yesterday's Results:

Do you think French authorities will catch the Louvre thieves or recover the stolen jewelry?

They might catch the thieves, but the loot’s already melted down (52.9%)
They’re long gone, probably sipping drinks on a beach (28.6%)
Yes, they’ll catch the culprits and recover the jewels (18.6%)

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About SOFX: We are an independent media and communications technology company reporting on the conflicts, security, and technology issues impacting your lives and businesses. SOFX was founded by former Special Operations & Intelligence Professionals not Career Journalists or Big Tech / Big Media.

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