U.S. carries out new strike in Caribbean, killing 3 alleged drug smugglers

The U.S. subject has carried retired different lethal onslaught connected alleged cause smugglers successful the Caribbean Sea, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced connected Saturday (November 2, 2025).

Mr. Hegseth, successful a societal media posting, said the vas was operated by a U.S.-designated violent organisation but did not sanction which radical was targeted. He said 3 radical were killed successful the strike.

It's astatine slightest the 15th specified onslaught carried retired by the U.S. subject successful the Caribbean oregon eastbound Pacific since aboriginal September.

“This vessel—like EVERY OTHER—was known by our quality to beryllium progressive successful illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting on a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics,” Mr. Hegseth said successful a posting connected X.

The U.S. subject has present killed astatine slightest 64 radical successful the strikes.

Mr. Trump has justified the attacks arsenic a indispensable escalation to stem the travel of drugs into the United States. He has asserted the U.S. is engaged successful an “armed conflict” with cause cartels, relying connected the aforesaid ineligible authorization utilized by the Bush medication erstwhile it declared a warfare connected coercion aft the September 11, 2001, attacks.

The strikes travel arsenic the Trump medication has deployed an unusually ample unit of warships successful the region.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has decried the subject operations, arsenic good arsenic the US subject buildup, arsenic a thinly veiled effort by the US medication aimed astatine ousting him from power.

The Trump medication has yet to amusement grounds to enactment its claims astir the boats that person been attacked, their transportation to cause cartels, oregon adjacent the individuality of the radical killed successful the strikes.