 "Three killed in US strike on alleged drug-trafficking boat, Pentagon confirms")
A US military strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean killed three people on Saturday, said Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth. The incident marks the latest in a string of attacks Washington says are part of efforts to curb narcotics smuggling in international waters.
The United States has stationed Navy ships in the Caribbean and deployed F-35 stealth aircraft to Puerto Rico as part of a large-scale anti-drug initiative. More than 15 US strikes on suspected trafficking boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific have resulted in at least 65 deaths in recent weeks, drawing criticism from several regional governments.
Hegseth confirmed on social media that the latest strike targeted “another narco-trafficking vessel” identified through intelligence reports as being involved in illicit narcotics operations. He stated that three men were aboard during the strike, all of whom were killed, and described them as “narco-terrorists".
Concerns over legality and transparency
Since the operations began in early September, experts have questioned the legality of the strikes, describing them as potential extrajudicial killings. Washington has not released evidence showing that the targeted vessels were carrying drugs or posed a direct threat to the United States.
Despite mounting criticism, Hegseth reaffirmed Washington’s stance, stating that the US would continue to “hunt… and kill” those it identifies as drug traffickers.
The Trump administration casts the small boats as a threat to US national security because of the drugs they allegedly carry, but experts say the strikes amount to extrajudicial killings even if they target known traffickers.
In addition to the military assets deployed in the region, Washington has carried out multiple shows of force with B-52 and B-1B bombers flying sorties near Venezuela’s coast, the most recent of which took place on Monday.
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