US Military Strike in Caribbean Kills Four; September Double-Strike Prompts War-Crimes Scrutiny

US Military Says Strike Killed Four Suspected Drug Traffickers in Caribbean

The United States military carried out a lethal strike on a vessel in international waters in the Caribbean on Thursday, killing four men, the Pentagon said. In a post on X, US Southern Command said the strike was directed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and that the vessel was operated by a "Designated Terrorist Organization." Southern Command added that intelligence indicated the boat was carrying illicit narcotics and was transiting a known narco‑trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific.

Officials described the four deceased as "narco‑terrorists." The action is part of a months‑long campaign the administration says targets narco‑terrorism; officials acknowledge the campaign has killed more than 80 suspected smugglers.

September 2 Operation Draws Bipartisan Scrutiny

The latest strike comes amid renewed scrutiny of a September 2 operation in which a single vessel appears to have been struck twice. Video and reporting prompted bipartisan congressional inquiries and criticism from human rights groups and legal experts. Those groups contend that deliberately targeting unarmed survivors or shipwrecked people may constitute a war crime; the US military’s manuals also state that firing on shipwrecks is unlawful.

"The order was basically: Destroy the drugs, kill the 11 people on the boat," Representative Adam Smith said, describing what he understood from the September briefings. Senator Tom Cotton, however, said Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley denied receiving any order to "give no quarter or to kill them all."

Admiral Bradley briefed lawmakers behind closed doors and denied being ordered to kill all people aboard. Lawmakers and officials provided conflicting accounts of the meeting.

Rights Complaints and Regional Tensions

Human rights organizations have argued the campaign amounts to extrajudicial killings. Earlier this week the family of Alejandro Carranza filed a complaint with a regional human rights body, alleging the Colombian fisherman was wrongfully killed in the September strike and that his right to life was violated.

The strikes are unfolding against the backdrop of an increased US military presence near Venezuela. The administration has warned that land strikes could occur "very soon," a prospect denounced by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who calls the pressure campaign an attempt to topple his government.

What Remains Unclear

Key questions remain about the legal basis and oversight for these operations. Congress has not issued a new declaration of war or specific authorizations for this campaign, and bipartisan committees continue to investigate the September incident and related rules of engagement.

Sources: US Southern Command statement on X; public statements from lawmakers and Pentagon officials; filings by rights groups and the family of Alejandro Carranza.