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U.S. Military Continues Drug Boat Strikes, Sparking Congressional Debate
The U.S. military has announced another strike against an alleged drug-running vessel in the Eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of four individuals. This latest action marks a continuation of an aggressive campaign targeting maritime drug trafficking routes off the coast of Latin America.
According to a social media post from U.S. Southern Command, the strike was authorized by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The post included unclassified video footage and stated that “intelligence confirmed that the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics and transiting along a known narco-trafficking route.” The four deceased individuals were identified as “male narco-terrorists.”
This incident brings the total number of U.S. military strikes on suspected drug vessels in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean to at least 22 since early September. These operations, part of what the Trump administration describes as an anti-drug offensive, have resulted in at least 87 fatalities.
The White House, which has provided limited specific evidence to support its claims of drug trafficking, attributes these actions to its broader strategy of pressuring the Venezuelan government under Nicolás Maduro. Defense Secretary Hegseth has named this overarching effort “Operation Southern Spear.”
President Trump has defended these attacks by asserting that the U.S. is engaged in “armed conflict” with drug cartels and that the targeted boats are operated by foreign terror organizations.
The recent strike comes amidst increasing scrutiny of Secretary Hegseth following a Washington Post report detailing a controversial September 2nd boat strike in the Caribbean that killed 11 people. The report, subsequently confirmed by the White House, revealed that the vessel was hit by two missiles.
A source familiar with the matter informed CBS News that the second missile strike occurred as two survivors of the initial attack were attempting to re-board the boat, reportedly to salvage drugs. This detail has prompted some lawmakers to question whether the second strike could constitute a war crime.
Secretary Hegseth has denied ordering the second strike, attributing the decision to Navy Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley, head of Special Operations Command. The Washington Post also reported allegations that Hegseth had expressed a desire for all individuals on board the vessel to be killed, a claim both Hegseth and Bradley have denied to lawmakers.
Congressional lawmakers convened a closed-door session on Thursday to view video footage of the September 2nd second strike and receive briefings from Admiral Bradley and Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Reactions from lawmakers varied sharply. Representative Jim Himes (D-CT), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, described the video as “one of the most troubling things I’ve seen in my time in public service.” Conversely, Republican Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, stated that he “didn’t see anything disturbing about it.”