US Military Conducts 10th Strike Against Drug Traffickers: Nighttime Operation Claims Six Lives in Caribbean

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the US military has executed its 10th strike against a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean, resulting in six fatalities. Hegseth confirmed this was their first nighttime operation.

The US military attributed the vessel to the Tren de Aragua gang, a criminal organization that originated in a Venezuelan prison. Hegseth shared details of the operation through social media on Friday.

These military strikes have accelerated recently, evolving from occasional operations in September to three strikes this week alone. The operational zone has expanded to include the eastern Pacific Ocean, a primary smuggling route for cocaine from major producing regions.

The Defense Secretary released a 20-second black and white video documenting the strike. The footage shows a small boat stationary on water before being hit by a projectile that causes a significant explosion. The video ends before revealing the aftermath.

Hegseth stated that the operation occurred in international waters, emphasizing the administration's aggressive stance: "If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda. Day or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you."

This strike followed shortly after the US deployed supersonic heavy bombers near Venezuela's coastline on Thursday. This deployment is part of an unusually large military buildup in the Caribbean region, fueling speculation about potential US intentions to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who faces narcoterrorism charges in the United States.

Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino has informed his military leadership that he believes the drug-trafficking accusations are false pretexts, with the US government's actual objective being "regime change" in Venezuela.

Hegseth's recent communications have increasingly drawn parallels between the post-9/11 war on terrorism and the current administration's campaign against drug traffickers.

When asked if he would seek a congressional declaration of war against cartels, President Trump responded, "I think we're just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country, OK? We're going to kill them, you know? They're going to be like, dead."

The military actions have raised concerns from lawmakers across the political spectrum regarding the lack of congressional authorization and transparency. Democratic legislators have specifically argued that these strikes violate international law.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democratic member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the expansion of operations, stating it "simply expands the lawlessness and the recklessness in the use of the American military without seeming legal or practical justification."

Earlier this month, Trump designated drug cartels as unlawful combatants and declared that the US was engaged in an "armed conflict" with them.

Despite congressional concerns, the Republican-majority Senate rejected a Democratic-sponsored war powers resolution that would have required presidential authorization from Congress before conducting further military strikes.