US Vows to Continue Strikes After 3 Killed in Caribbean ‘Drug Boat’ Attack

The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to using lethal force against international drug traffickers after a deadly strike on a suspected smuggling vessel in the Caribbean left three people dead. The strike, authorized by President Donald Trump, has intensified debate over the legality and ethics of military action in anti-narcotics operations.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the incident on Sunday, stating that the operation was conducted in international waters and targeted a boat allegedly operated by a designated terrorist organization involved in narcotics trafficking. “At the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on another narco-trafficking vessel,” Hegseth said. “All three terrorists were killed, and no US forces were harmed.”

According to Hegseth, intelligence reports identified the vessel as part of a network responsible for smuggling large quantities of drugs from South America. He further asserted that the US military would continue its aggressive pursuit of such groups, declaring, “The Department will treat them exactly how we treated Al-Qaeda. We will continue to track them, map them, hunt them, and kill them.”

Series of Maritime Strikes

This operation is part of a broader campaign launched in September, during which several strikes targeted vessels allegedly linked to organized crime groups. The first strike in the series targeted a Venezuelan ship in international waters, killing 11 individuals believed to be members of the Tren de Aragua gang — an organization labeled as a terrorist group by the Trump administration.

In recent weeks, US naval forces have been deployed across the Caribbean, supported by F-35 stealth fighter jets stationed in Puerto Rico. The administration maintains that the mission aims to dismantle major drug trafficking routes from South America to North America, describing it as a critical national security effort.

Mounting International Backlash

However, the military approach has provoked widespread criticism from international bodies and human rights advocates. The United Nations Human Rights Office has condemned the strikes as “unacceptable,” calling for an independent investigation into the incidents. “These attacks and their mounting human cost are unacceptable,” said UN spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani in Geneva.

Experts argue that the US’s use of military force against alleged traffickers in international waters may breach international law, particularly given the lack of publicly available evidence connecting the targeted vessels to terrorist organizations.

A New Phase in America’s Drug War

The Trump administration’s strategy marks a significant departure from past US policy, which traditionally treated maritime drug trafficking as a law enforcement issue rather than a military one. The shift signals a more hardline stance, as Washington seeks to project deterrence through direct action.

As global concern mounts over civilian safety and international legal norms, Washington remains firm on its position — vowing to continue hunting and eliminating drug traffickers who threaten its borders.