US Military Carries Out Another Deadly Strike on Alleged Drug Traffickers at Sea:

The United States military carried out another deadly strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean Sea on Saturday, marking a continuation of a controversial campaign launched by the Trump administration earlier this year. According to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, three men aboard the boat were killed in the operation, which took place in international waters. “Today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on another narco-trafficking vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) in the Caribbean,” Hegseth announced on social media platform X, sharing an unclassified video of the strike. Hegseth identified the three men as “narco-terrorists” and claimed they were transporting narcotics along a known smuggling route. He emphasized that no US personnel were harmed during the operation, underscoring the administration’s stated goal of targeting drug traffickers without risking American lives. This latest strike is the 15th documented military action against alleged drug-smuggling vessels since the Trump administration began these operations in early September. The campaign, carried out in both the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, has reportedly killed a total of 64 individuals suspected of involvement in drug trafficking. “These narco-terrorists are bringing drugs to our shores to poison Americans at home—and they will not succeed,” Hegseth said. “The Department will treat them EXACTLY how we treated Al-Qaeda.” After focusing initial operations in the Caribbean, the Pentagon has recently shifted its efforts to the eastern Pacific. Administration officials cited stronger intelligence linking cocaine transport to the US from those western routes as the reason for the change in strategy. Over the past two weeks, six strikes have been reported in the Pacific, including three in a single day last week. The escalation of these strikes has drawn sharp criticism from both domestic and international observers. Democrats in Congress have questioned the legal basis for the attacks and expressed concern about a lack of transparency. A closed-door briefing on Thursday reportedly omitted critical details, and Pentagon lawyers were allegedly pulled from the session at the last minute. The United Nations has also condemned the strikes. The office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that such operations violate international law and called for an immediate halt. “These attacks and their mounting human cost are unacceptable,” human rights commissioner Volker Türk said. “The US must halt such attacks and take all measures necessary to prevent the extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats.” The Trump administration has reportedly prepared a classified legal opinion justifying lethal strikes against a broad list of cartels and suspected traffickers. The document claims that the president has the authority to authorize deadly force against these groups because they pose an imminent threat to Americans. On Capitol Hill, Democratic lawmakers have criticized the administration for failing to provide sufficient information. Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner accused the administration of using briefings as a “partisan stunt” by excluding Democrats, while Senate Armed Services Committee leaders have publicly stated that letters requesting details on the operations have gone unanswered. Despite the mounting criticism, Hegseth insisted that the Pentagon has engaged with Congress in a bipartisan manner. However, questions remain about the legality, transparency, and human cost of the ongoing military campaign. As the Trump administration continues its aggressive actions against alleged drug traffickers at sea, debates over international law, presidential authority, and accountability are intensifying—raising serious questions about the future of US military operations in the Caribbean and Pacific regions.

NEWS