US military strikes two more alleged drug boats in Pacific, death toll rises to over 100

The US military on Thursday (Dec 18) said that it struck two more alleged drug vessels in the Pacific Ocean, killing five. The death toll amid US President Donald Trump’s campaign against drug trafficking has risen to over 100 with the recent strike. The attacks were carried out under the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the US Southern Command said in a social media post, sharing the footage from the latest “lethal kinetic strikes” by Joint Task Force Southern Spear.

“On Dec. 18, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on two vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations. A total of five male narco-terrorists were killed during these actions - three in the first vessel and two in the second vessel. No U.S. military forces were harmed,” the US Southern Command wrote on X.

According to an AFP tally, 104 people have been killed in US strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has provided no evidence, as critics question the legality of US military operations in international waters.

A day earlier, US military announced another strike at a ‘narco-trafficking’ vessel. In a statement, the US military said that the latest Operation Southern Spear strike has killed 4 people.

Trump says he doesn’t have to tell Congress about strikes on Venezuela

Meanwhile, Trump said on Thursday that he does not need congressional approval to order military strikes on Venezuelan soil amid rising tensions with the country. This comes even as criticism mounts over the scope and legality of the United States' expanding operations in the region.

When asked directly whether lawmakers would be consulted before authorising land hits on drug cartels, Trump said he “wouldn’t mind” informing them but insisted it was “not a big deal”. He also suggested that briefing Congress could compromise operations, saying politicians “leak like a sieve.”

“I wouldn’t mind telling them, but you know, it’s not a big deal,” Trump said. “I don't have to tell them.”