US Forces Conduct Another Strike Against Alleged Drug Boat in Caribbean, Raising Death Toll to 70
US forces struck another vessel suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea today, resulting in three fatalities, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, bringing the total number of deaths from the ongoing campaign to at least 70.
The US began conducting these strikes in early September, targeting vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, a move that has drawn criticism from some experts who argue it constitutes extrajudicial killings. To date, at least 18 vessels – 17 boats and one semi-submersible – have been destroyed, though Washington has not publicly released concrete evidence linking the targets to narcotics smuggling or a direct threat to the United States. Hegseth shared footage of the latest incident on X, stating the strike occurred in international waters and targeted “a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization.”
“To all narco-terrorists who threaten our homeland: if you want to stay alive, stop trafficking drugs. If you keep trafficking deadly drugs – we will kill you,” Hegseth wrote. Similar to previous releases, portions of the footage were obscured. This escalation of force comes as the Trump administration has significantly increased its military presence in Latin America, deploying six Navy ships, F-35 warplanes to Puerto Rico, and the USS Gerald R Ford carrier strike group to the region. The US Senate recently blocked a resolution that would have required congressional approval for strikes in Venezuela, allowing the President to continue the campaign without further checks and balances – a move that could have significant implications for regional stability, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
Reports from Venezuela and families of those killed allege that many of the deceased were civilians, primarily fishermen. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been indicted on drug charges in the US, maintains his country is used as a transit route for Colombian cocaine against its will. The administration has notified Congress that the United States is engaged in “armed conflict” with Latin American drug cartels, classifying them as terrorist groups to justify the operations, a designation that has been challenged by Human Rights Watch.
Officials stated that the administration is continuing to develop options for military action in Venezuela and seeking further legal justification to target entities beyond boats.
