The United States military launched a deadly assault in the Caribbean Sea on Saturday, targeting a vessel suspected of drug trafficking. This operation is part of a broader military campaign initiated by President Donald Trump aimed at dismantling 'Designated Terrorist Organizations' (DTOs) involved in drug smuggling.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the mission on his official account on X (formerly Twitter). “Today, under President Trump's orders, the Department of Defense executed a lethal kinetic strike against another drug-trafficking vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization in the Caribbean,” Hegseth stated. He confirmed that the three individuals on board, labeled as “narco-terrorists,” were killed during the operation.
Hegseth noted that the attack occurred in international waters and resulted in no American casualties. He added that the vessel was “carrying narcotics” and traversing a maritime route known to authorities as a smuggling corridor.
This marks the fifteenth confirmed strike since the campaign began in September, which Washington refers to as its “war against narco-terrorists.” According to American media reports, the operations have led to at least 64 fatalities in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific.
“These narco-terrorists are bringing drugs to poison Americans. We will not allow it. We will treat them just as we treat Al-Qaeda,” warned Hegseth, who has intensified his rhetoric since taking over the Department of Defense.
However, the recent attack has reignited criticism both domestically and internationally. Democratic lawmakers and international organizations question the legality of these operations, which are executed without judicial oversight and outside U.S. territory.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, described these actions as “violations of international law” and demanded an immediate end to the “extrajudicial executions at sea.”
Meanwhile, sources cited by CNN disclosed that the Department of Justice prepared a classified opinion authorizing the use of lethal force against a secret list of cartels, arguing they pose “an imminent threat” to American citizens.
Although the Pentagon defends the campaign as a “surgical” offensive against criminal networks, criticism is mounting over the lack of transparency and the risks associated with the expanding U.S. military presence in Caribbean waters, which targets Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro's regime as a key focus in the war against regional drug cartels.
Understanding U.S. Military Operations Against Narco-Trafficking
What prompted the U.S. military campaign in the Caribbean?
The campaign was initiated by President Trump to combat Designated Terrorist Organizations linked to drug trafficking, with the aim of curbing the flow of narcotics into the United States.
How does the U.S. justify these operations without judicial oversight?
The Department of Justice has issued a classified opinion authorizing the use of force, citing the imminent threat these cartels pose to American citizens.
What are the international reactions to these strikes?
International bodies, including the UN, criticize the operations as violations of international law and demand an end to such extrajudicial actions.