U.S. Military Carries Out Deadly Strike on Suspected Drug Smugglers in Caribbean; Lawmakers Demand Legal Justification

U.S. military conducts lethal strike on suspected drug-smuggling vessel in Caribbean

The U.S. military carried out another lethal strike against a vessel in the Caribbean Sea that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said was operated by an organization the U.S. has designated as a terrorist group. In a social media post announcing the operation, Hegseth said three people were killed and that no U.S. personnel were harmed.

Officials described the incident as at least the 15th such strike in the Caribbean or eastern Pacific since early September. U.S. operations connected to these missions have now been reported to have resulted in at least 64 deaths.

Hegseth: "This vessel — like EVERY OTHER — was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics."

The announcement followed a Pentagon statement on Oct. 24 that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford would be deployed to waters off Latin America — a move that significantly expanded the number of ships and service members assigned to the administration's anti-narcotics campaign.

President Trump has defended the strikes as a necessary escalation to reduce the flow of drugs into the United States, characterizing the effort as part of an "armed conflict" with drug cartels and citing legal authorities previously invoked in other national-security contexts.

Critics — including lawmakers and foreign leaders — have demanded greater transparency. Colombian President Gustavo Petro told CBS News that some people killed in the strikes appear to have been innocent civilians and accused the operations of potentially violating international law.

Senate Democrats renewed requests for more information in a letter to senior administration officials, asking for the legal opinions that justify the strikes and for a list of the groups the President has designated as targetable. Among those cited as signatories were Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senators Jack Reed, Jeanne Shaheen, Mark Warner, Chris Coons, Patty Murray and Brian Schatz.

Earlier correspondence from the Republican chairman and ranking Democrat of the Senate Armed Services Committee sought the Defense Department's legal rationale and a list of cartels or organizations the administration considers targets for military force.

Note on reporting: Some names and official titles referenced in initial accounts appear inconsistent with public rosters of current officeholders; those details should be confirmed with primary sources before publication.

Defense Secretary Hegseth is reported to be on a tour of Asia and met with Vietnamese President Luong Cuong during his trip.

Context and implications

The strikes raise legal, diplomatic and operational questions about the use of U.S. military force in counter-narcotics operations far from U.S. shores. Lawmakers are pressing the administration for the underlying legal opinions and clearer public accounting of targets and civilian casualty assessments.