U.S. Military Carries Out Lethal Strike on Alleged Drug Traffckers in Caribbean, Killing Three

The U.S. military conducted a lethal strike on an alleged drug trafficking vessel in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in the deaths of three individuals, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed on Saturday. The operation targeted a boat tied to a U.S.-designated terrorist organization involved in narcotics smuggling.

Describing the mission as part of an ongoing campaign authorized by President Donald Trump, Hegseth stated the vessel was traveling along a known narcotics trafficking route and was carrying illegal drugs. This marks at least the 15th such strike in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific regions since early September 2025, with a cumulative death toll of at least 64 people.

Hegseth emphasized the severity of the threat, calling the targeted individuals “narco-terrorists” and vowing to treat them in the same way the U.S. handled Al-Qaeda. The strikes are part of the Trump administration’s intensified effort to stem the flow of drugs into the United States, invoking the same legal framework used in the war on terror.

Despite calls from U.S. legislators for greater transparency about the strikes’ legal basis and the specific cartels targeted, detailed evidence linking the attacked vessels to drug cartels has not been publicly disclosed. No U.S. personnel were injured in the latest operation.

The military buildup in the Caribbean, including the deployment of numerous warships, has heightened geopolitical tensions, particularly with Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has condemned the strikes and the U.S. military presence as part of an attempt to undermine his government.

This lethal strike underscores the Trump administration’s aggressive posture in combating drug trafficking by treating traffickers as terrorists, signaling continued military interventions in regions used as transit routes for illegal narcotics.