A U.S. military strike on an alleged drug trafficking vessel in the Caribbean has left six suspected narco-terrorists dead, the Pentagon confirmed on Friday. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the strike as the first nighttime operation under President Donald Trump’s ongoing counter-drug campaign in the region.
According to Hegseth, the targeted vessel was operated by members of the Venezuelan criminal network known as Tren de Aragua, a transnational gang linked to drug trafficking and organized crime. The secretary shared a short 20-second video on X (formerly Twitter), showing the vessel moments before it was struck by at least one projectile and exploded in flames.
While the Pentagon has not provided concrete evidence of narcotics on board, the strike marks a significant escalation in U.S. efforts to curb drug smuggling through the Caribbean. The ongoing campaign, launched in September, has already seen ten similar operations across the Caribbean and Pacific, resulting in nearly 40 deaths.
President Trump announced on Thursday that his administration would brief Congress on the operations, hinting that land-based missions against cartels could follow. “We don’t need a declaration of war to defend our people from the poison flooding our borders,” Trump said.
The U.S. has recently reinforced its military presence in the region, deploying guided-missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine, and thousands of troops to bolster maritime security and counter-narcotics efforts.
However, the strikes have sparked legal and ethical debates. Critics, including Democratic lawmakers and international law experts, argue that these actions may violate the laws of war, as targets are often outside U.S. territory and lack clear evidence of combatant status.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has condemned the operations, accusing Washington of attempting to destabilize his government. The U.S. has doubled its reward for Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, citing his alleged ties to drug trafficking claims that Maduro firmly denies.
