U.S. military launched strike on drug-ferrying vessel in Caribbean Sea, resulting in three fatalities on Sunday. This is part of a series of attacks initiated by Trump administration since early September, targeting at least 54 vessels and killing over 181 people.
Despite ongoing Iran war, the frequency of these strikes has increased recently, indicating the administration’s continued efforts to combat what it calls “narcoterrorism” in the Western Hemisphere. However, U.S. Southern Command has not provided evidence that any targeted vessels were carrying drugs.
These attacks coincide with the buildup of the largest U.S. military presence in the region for generations and precede the January raid where then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured to face drug trafficking charges, which he denies.
In Sunday’s attack, U.S. Southern Command stated that it targeted alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The command posted a video on X showing a boat moving along water before an explosion engulfed the vessel in flames.
President Trump has declared “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and justified these attacks as necessary to curb drug flow into the U.S. However, critics have questioned the legality of these boat strikes.