Since September 2025, President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have initiated a series of controversial military strikes targeting boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. The Trump administration has alleged, albeit with minimal evidence, that these vessels were involved in drug smuggling operations originating from Venezuela and Colombia. These military actions have resulted in the deaths of over 50 individuals, raising significant concerns both domestically and internationally.
Leaders from both Venezuela and Colombia have vehemently denied the allegations made by the Trump administration and criticized the military actions. The legality of these strikes has also been called into question by several lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who are debating whether the President possesses the constitutional authority to authorize such military operations without congressional approval.
Sept. 2, 2025: President Trump shares a video on his social media platform depicting what he claims is a military strike on a drug-laden boat. He states that 11 Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists aboard were killed, alleging they were acting under the orders of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has since denied these accusations.
Sept. 15, 2025: Trump announces a second strike, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of three individuals in the Caribbean. He asserts that these were terrorists killed in action, claiming the operation occurred in international waters and that evidence of drug trafficking was available, citing "big bags of cocaine and fentanyl" in the ocean.
Sept. 19, 2025: A third strike results in three fatalities, with Trump alleging connections to an unspecified designated terrorist organization. He provides scant details but insists that intelligence indicated the vessel was engaged in drug trafficking.
Oct. 3, 2025: The President announces a fourth strike, claiming four male narcoterrorists were killed. He alleges the boat was loaded with enough drugs to potentially kill between 25,000 to 50,000 people. Colombian President Gustavo Petro counters, stating that the individuals on the boat were Colombian nationals.
Oct. 14, 2025: During a speech celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Navy, Trump reveals a fifth strike resulting in six fatalities. He asserts that intelligence linked the vessel to narcotics trafficking and illicit networks.
Oct. 16, 2025: A strike on a boat in the Caribbean has lingering consequences with the revelation of survivors. Video footage shows a semi-submersible, which Trump alleges was filled with fentanyl. Two of the four individuals aboard are killed, while the two survivors, identified by Trump as terrorists, are released to Colombia and Ecuador, circumventing legal challenges.
Oct. 17, 2025: Hegseth announces a seventh strike, resulting in the deaths of three individuals with alleged ties to Colombian terrorist groups.
Oct. 21, 2025: The operation expands into the Pacific Ocean, with the first strike occurring there, killing two people. Hegseth confirms that this eighth strike took place west of Central America.
Oct. 22, 2025: The administration continues its offensive in the Pacific, conducting a ninth strike that results in three fatalities, with Hegseth stating that the vessel was involved in narcotics trafficking.
Oct. 24, 2025: A tenth strike off the coast of Venezuela claims six lives, with Hegseth alleging the target was a drug vessel operated by Tren de Aragua.
Oct. 27, 2025: The most significant strike to date occurs, resulting in the deaths of 14 people in the Eastern Pacific. Hegseth reports that the U.S. military targeted four alleged drug boats in three coordinated attacks, with one survivor being reported and actively searched for by the Mexican Navy and U.S. Coast Guard.
The ongoing military operations led by the Trump administration have sparked intense debate and scrutiny. As the timeline unfurls, the international community watches closely, and the implications of these actions on U.S.-Latin America relations remain to be seen.
