WASHINGTON D.C. / CARIBBEAN – A recent US military strike targeting an alleged drug trafficking vessel in the Caribbean resulted in the death of three people, according to an announcement by Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth. This marks the latest in a series of controversial attacks carried out by the United States in international waters.
The US has significantly ramped up its military presence, deploying Navy ships to the Caribbean and F-35 stealth warplanes to Puerto Rico. Washington maintains that this massive mobilization is intended solely to curb drug trafficking.
In a statement posted on social media, Mr. Hegseth confirmed the latest strike hit “another narco-trafficking vessel… in the Caribbean.” He asserted that the vessel, like all previous targets, was “known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling.”
“Three male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters. All three terrorists were killed,” Mr. Hegseth wrote, adding that the US would continue to “hunt… and kill” alleged drug traffickers.
The US campaign, which began in early September, has reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 65 people across more than 15 strikes in the Caribbean and the Pacific.
The attacks have drawn fierce criticism from regional governments and international bodies. On Friday, UN rights chief Volker Türk urged the US to halt the strikes, stating that the killings occurred “in circumstances that find no justification in international law.” He called the mounting human cost of these attacks “unacceptable.”
Experts view the strikes as potential extrajudicial killings, even if the targets were known traffickers, as Washington has not made public any evidence that the vessels posed an immediate threat or were actively smuggling narcotics.
Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who faces drug charges in the US, accused Washington of using the anti-drug operation as a pretext to “imposing regime change” in Caracas to seize Venezuelan oil. However, US President Donald Trump has since walked back earlier comments and stated that he was not considering strikes against Venezuela.
Mr. Hegseth also shared video footage of the strike online, which showed the moment the vessel was hit by a fireball. However, as with previous government-released videos, critical areas of the boat were obfuscated, making it impossible to independently verify the number of people on board.
