There’s been some shifting of members on and new members added to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) switched from chairman of the strategic forces panel to chairman of the emerging threats and capabilities panel. Replacing him on strategic forces is Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), who turned over chairmanship duties for the personnel panel to Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.). New committee member Sen. George LeMieux (R-Fla.) is now ranking member of the emerging threats panel. The former leaders of emerging threats, Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), chairman, and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), ranking member, have taken the leadership positions on the seapower panel. (Committee release)
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.