The U.S. military has executed yet another lethal strike against alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea, as confirmed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday. In a recent social media announcement, Hegseth indicated that the vessel targeted was reportedly operated by a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, though he refrained from disclosing the specific group involved. The strike resulted in the deaths of three individuals, marking it as the 15th military operation in the Caribbean or eastern Pacific region since early September.
According to Hegseth, the U.S. military has now tallied at least 64 fatalities from these targeted strikes. He emphasized that this particular vessel was recognized by U.S. intelligence as being engaged in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route while carrying illegal drugs. Importantly, he noted that no U.S. personnel were harmed during this operation.
This announcement follows the Pentagon's decision, made on October 24, to deploy the USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy's newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, to the waters off Latin America. This strategic move significantly boosts the military's resources dedicated to combating narcotics traffickers as part of the Trump administration's intensified campaign.
President Trump has defended the military strikes as a necessary escalation to curtail the flow of drugs into the United States, asserting that the country is engaged in an armed conflict with drug cartels. This stance relies on the same legal authority that was invoked by the Bush administration in its declaration of a war on terrorism following the September 11 attacks. The White House has consistently rebuffed requests from U.S. lawmakers for more transparency regarding the legal justifications for these strikes and detailed information about the targeted cartels.
In an exclusive interview with CBS News on October 24, Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed concern that some individuals killed in these U.S. strikes may have been innocent civilians. He reiterated accusations that the military operations violate international law. In response to these concerns, Senate Democrats have renewed their calls for more comprehensive information regarding the strikes in a letter addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Hegseth.
The letter, which included signatures from prominent lawmakers such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senators Jack Reed, Jeanne Shaheen, Mark Warner, Chris Coons, Patty Murray, and Brian Schatz, requested detailed legal opinions related to the strikes and a list of groups that the President has classified as targetable. The senators criticized the administration for selectively sharing information that has sometimes been contradictory, while excluding others from receiving critical updates.
Earlier on the same Friday, the Republican chairman and the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee released letters sent to Hegseth in late September and early October, seeking clarification on the department's legal rationale for the strikes and information regarding the drug cartels designated as terrorist organizations by the Trump administration. Meanwhile, Hegseth is currently on a diplomatic tour in Asia, having met with Vietnamese President Luong Cuong on Sunday.
