Le Journal

The U.S. military said Friday that it has carried out a deadly strike on a vessel accused of trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the first known attack since the raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. U.S. Southern Command said on social media that the boat was “engaged in narco-trafficking operations” and that the strike killed two people and left one survivor. It said it notified the Coast Guard to launch search and rescue operations for that person. A video accompanying the post announcing the latest strike shows a boat moving through the water before exploding in flames. The U.S. military has focused lately on seizing sanctioned oil tankers with connections to Venezuela since the Trump administration launched an audacious raid to capture Maduro and bring him to New York to face drug trafficking charges. The last boat strikes occurred in late December, when the military said it struck five alleged drug-smuggling boats over two days, killing a total of eight people while others jumped overboard. Days later, the Coast Guard suspended its search. Trump Administration Jan 6 Trump administration's capture of Maduro raises unease about the international legal framework Venezuela Jan 5 Nicolás Maduro, Cilia Flores plead not guilty The U.S. conducted a “large-scale strike” in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, on Jan. 3 that led to the capture of Maduro and his wife, who were then flown to New York to face federal drug trafficking charges. Maduro, before his capture, said the U.S. military operations were a thinly veiled effort to oust him from power. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the U.S. strikes targeting alleged smugglers are having an enormous impact on slowing drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. “We’ve stopped — virtually stopped almost 100% of all drugs coming in by water,” Trump said in remarks on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum at Davos.

Legendary 49ers quarterback John Brodie, the 1970 NFL Most Valuable Player, died on Friday morning. He was 90. “The 49ers family is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the franchise’s all-time great players, John Brodie,” San Francisco co-chairman Dr. John York said in a statement shared Friday. “As a kid, my 49ers fandom began by watching John play quarterback on television. He displayed an incredible commitment towards his teammates and his support of the organization never wavered after his playing days. John became a dear friend of mine, and he will always be remembered as an important part of 49ers history. We express our deepest condolences to his wife, Sue, and the entire Brodie family.” Brodie played his entire 17-year NFL career with the 49ers after being the No. 3 overall pick in the 1957 NFL Draft out of Stanford. He played in 201 games with the 49ers, second-most in franchise history behind only Jerry Rice. Brodie ranks No. 2 in all-time franchise passing yards (31,548) behind only Joe Montana (35,124). Brodie (214), Montana (244) and Steve Young (221) are the only quarterbacks in 49ers history with 200 or more passing touchdowns. He was known for having a strong throwing arm but also great touch on his passes to connect on throws at every level, including intermediate passes that had to be layered over a linebacker and in front of a safety. The 49ers retired Brodie’s No. 12 in 1973 after leading the NFL in touchdown passes three times in his career. He was a two-time Pro Bowl player and led the 49ers to consecutive playoff appearances in 1970, ’71 and ’72. Many longtime supporters of the 49ers who watched Brodie’s remarkable career believe he is more than deserving of a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 49ers did not win any league championships when Brodie played, but he had an indirect role in the organization’s future success. The late Bill Walsh said Brodie would often stop by the Stanford football offices when Walsh was head coach there before he became coach of the 49ers in 1979. “He would take time to sit and talk football with me,” Walsh said of Brodie. “I learned a lot of the mechanics, the footwork and techniques of the quarterback position from John. “Later, we were able to transfer those to many other quarterbacks. But I didn’t have a clue about the position until I talked to John over a period of time.” After his football was over, Brodie earned a spot in the Senior PGA Tour and recorded 12 top-10 finishes with one victory in 14 years. “John is like Joe Montana or people like that who have natural instincts,” Walsh said. “That’s why he was so great of an athlete in all the sports. He had natural competitive instincts. It’s some inner sense they have that they compete.” Brodie was also an NFL analyst for NBC Sports for 11 years. His life changed on Oct. 23, 2000. Brodie suffered a stroke while watching the memorable Jets-Dolphins game on Monday Night Football. It was a remarkable feat that he survived and lived another quarter-century. “First of all, he shouldn’t have survived,” his wife, Sue, said in the 2005 book, San Francisco 49ers: Where Have You Gone? “It was a massive, massive stroke. . . . A lot of people who have strokes can’t even walk because they don’t have the natural gifts he has.”