US strike kills 3 in Caribbean, critics say ‘no justification under international law’
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "US strike kills 3 in Caribbean, critics say ‘no justification under international law’")
File Photo: Pete Hegseth Photograph: (Combination created using images from AFP and X)
A US airstrike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean killed three people on Saturday (Nov 1), Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth confirmed.
A US strike on what officials described as a drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean killed three people on Saturday (Nov 1), Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth confirmed. The attack is the latest in a series of controversial US operations in international waters targeting suspected narcotics smugglers. It comes as Washington in recent days has ramped up its military presence in the region, deploying Navy ships across the Caribbean and stationing F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico. The Pentagon says the goal is to disrupt drug-trafficking networks, but the campaign has drawn criticism from governments in the region for its mounting civilian toll and lack of transparency.
Washington claims to have destroyed ‘another narco-trafficking vessel’
On X, Hegseth announced that the latest strike destroyed "another narco-trafficking vessel... in the Caribbean," that intelligence officials had linked to illicit smuggling. "Three male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters. All three terrorists were killed," he wrote.
The US Secretary of War also posted video footage of the attack, showing a fiery explosion as the vessel was hit. "Three male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters. All three terrorists were killed," he wrote, adding that Washington would continue to "hunt... and kill" alleged drug traffickers. However, as with previous clips released by the US government, portions of the footage were blurred, making it impossible to verify details or confirm who was on board.
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US strikes in the Caribbean
The Pentagon has carried out more than 15 similar strikes across the Caribbean and Pacific since early September, reportedly killing at least 65 people. Critics say the US has yet to provide any public evidence linking the destroyed vessels to narcotics trafficking or demonstrating that those killed posed any threat.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Friday urged Washington to halt the operations, saying that the killings happened "in circumstances that find no justification in international law." Turk, in a statement, said that "These attacks -- and their mounting human cost -- are unacceptable".
Regional leaders have also condemned the strikes. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accused the US of using counter-narcotics operations as a cover for "regime change" in Caracas and for gaining control over Venezuela’s oil resources. The Trump administration has denied any plans for military action against Venezuela. Meanwhile, the US government, in a notice to Congress, has argued that it is engaged in an "armed conflict" with Latin American drug cartels, classifying them as terrorist organisations to justify the strikes.
