On Saturday, November 2, 2025, the United States military launched its latest strike in a rapidly intensifying campaign against alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea, killing three men aboard a vessel that U.S. officials say was transporting narcotics. The strike, ordered by President Donald Trump and publicly announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, took place in international waters and marks the 15th such operation since September, bringing the total number of people killed in the campaign to at least 64.
In a statement posted to social media, Hegseth detailed the operation: “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.” He described the three men killed as "narco-terrorists" connected to a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, emphasizing that no U.S. forces were harmed in the mission. According to Hegseth, the Department of Defense intends to “treat them EXACTLY how we treated Al-Qaeda,” underscoring the administration’s policy of direct military engagement against alleged drug traffickers.
The Trump administration has justified the campaign as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States, framing it as an "armed conflict" with drug cartels. President Trump has cited the same legal authority used by the Bush administration after the September 11 attacks, asserting that drug cartels represent an imminent threat to Americans. “These narco-terrorists are bringing drugs to our shores to poison Americans at home—and they will not succeed,” Hegseth declared on Saturday, echoing the administration’s hardline stance.
Since the campaign began in early September, U.S. military forces have carried out strikes not only in the Caribbean but also in the eastern Pacific. Recent weeks have seen a shift in focus to the Pacific, where, according to CNN, officials believe they have stronger evidence linking cocaine shipments to the U.S. Six strikes have taken place in the Pacific in just the last two weeks, with three occurring on a single day last week. The campaign has resulted in the destruction of 14 boats and a semi-submersible, and those killed have included nationals from Venezuela and Colombia.
Yet, while the Trump administration insists the strikes are targeted at drug smugglers, it has not publicly presented evidence to substantiate its claims. This lack of transparency has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers and international observers. Senate Democrats have repeatedly called on the White House to release more information about the legal justification for the strikes, as well as details about which groups have been targeted and the identities of those killed. In a letter sent Friday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Hegseth, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and several Democratic colleagues requested all legal opinions related to the strikes and a comprehensive list of groups deemed targetable by the president. “We also request that you provide all legal opinions related to these strikes and a list of the groups or other entities the President has deemed targetable,” the senators wrote, expressing frustration that the administration “has selectively shared what has at times been contradictory information” with some members while excluding others.
Republican and Democratic leaders on the Senate Armed Services Committee have also pressed for answers. Committee Chair Roger Wicker, a Republican, and Ranking Member Jack Reed, a Democrat, released letters they sent to Hegseth in September and October requesting the Pentagon’s legal rationale for the strikes and the list of designated terrorist organizations. According to NBC News, both parties have criticized the administration for failing to provide sufficient information about the intelligence and strategy behind the strikes, including how individuals aboard targeted vessels are determined to be linked to drug trafficking gangs.
This lack of transparency has not gone unnoticed by international bodies. On November 1, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned the campaign, stating, “These attacks and their mounting human cost are unacceptable. The US must halt such attacks and take all measures necessary to prevent the extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats.” Türk’s office has called the strikes a violation of international law, which generally prohibits the use of lethal military force against noncombatants outside a conflict zone. The United Nations’ concern is echoed by human rights organizations and legal scholars, who have warned that the strikes could set a dangerous precedent for military action beyond traditional battlefields.
The campaign has also inflamed tensions with regional governments, particularly Venezuela and Colombia. The Venezuelan government has denounced the U.S. strikes as illegal acts of aggression and accused President Trump of seeking regime change—an allegation the U.S. president has downplayed. In response to the strikes, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has bolstered his security powers and deployed tens of thousands of troops around the country. Washington, meanwhile, has doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, citing his alleged links to drug trafficking and criminal groups.
Russia has entered the fray as well, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs denouncing what it called the “excessive military force” deployed by the U.S. in the Caribbean and reaffirming its support for Venezuela’s leadership. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated, “Such actions are in violation of both US domestic legislation … and the norms of international law,” adding that Russia “confirms our firm support for the Venezuelan leadership in defending its national sovereignty.”
The U.S. military presence in the Caribbean has grown considerably since the campaign began. The Pentagon has deployed guided-missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine, and thousands of troops to the region. The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, previously stationed in the Mediterranean Sea, has been ordered to the Caribbean to bolster the campaign, with arrival expected in the coming weeks. This military buildup has only heightened regional anxieties and fueled speculation about the U.S.’s long-term intentions in the area.
Despite the controversy, the Trump administration remains resolute in its approach. Hegseth’s message on Saturday left little doubt about the administration’s intentions: “We will continue to track them, map them, hunt them, and kill them.” Whether this campaign will achieve its stated goal of stemming the flow of drugs into the United States—or whether it will provoke further legal, political, and diplomatic fallout—remains to be seen. But as the strikes continue and the death toll rises, calls for transparency, accountability, and adherence to international law are growing louder, both at home and abroad.
For now, the U.S. campaign in the Caribbean stands as one of the most aggressive—and contentious—uses of military force against drug trafficking in recent history, with its full ramifications still unfolding on the world stage.
