US military blows up another 'drug boat': Hegseth announces

The US military blew up another suspected drug boat in international waters, killing all three people on board, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday.

He said the boat was in the Caribbean Sea and was known by US intelligence as a drug-smuggling vessel. The three males on board were described as “narco-terrorists” associated with a “Designated Terrorist Organization,” Hegseth said.

“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,” Hegseth stated in an X post.

The US military's latest strike in the Caribbean marks the 15th operation since President Donald Trump's inauguration, resulting in over 60 fatalities in the ongoing campaign against drug smuggling.

This operation follows heightened tensions with Venezuela, where President Nicolás Maduro has sought military aid from Russia, China, and Iran, amid US accusations of his involvement in drug trafficking.

The UN has condemned these strikes, stating they violate international human rights law, a stance that contrasts with Trump's assertion of legal authority under the same framework used post-9/11 against Al-Qaeda.

Critics, including some US lawmakers and international legal experts, question the strikes' legality and the lack of transparency regarding the targets and evidence of drug trafficking.

The deployment of significant US military assets, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, underscores the escalation of this campaign, raising concerns about potential broader conflict in the region.