On Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. military conducted a strike against a ship believed to be connected to drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea. Hegseth identified the target as part of the Tren de Aragua criminal organization. He stated that six individuals described as “male narco-terrorists” were killed in the operation.
This event marks the tenth strike carried out by the Trump administration against alleged drug traffickers since early September, with most operations taking place in the Caribbean and off the coast of South America. Notably, strikes were also conducted in the Pacific Ocean on October 21 and 22. President Trump has stated that these actions are part of efforts to combat drug trafficking.
A video posted by Hegseth on social media shows the operation, depicting a boat in crosshairs before it was destroyed in an explosion. Concerns have been raised by members of both parties in Congress regarding the legality of the strikes and whether the President has the authority to order them. On September 10, 25 Democratic senators sent a letter to the White House, questioning the actions taken against a vessel days prior, citing a lack of evidence regarding any threat it posed to the U.S. Senator Rand Paul, a Republican, has also argued that congressional approval is necessary for such strikes.
President Trump has asserted that he possesses the legal authority to carry out these strikes and has classified the Tren de Aragua organization as a terrorist group. He noted that while land-based actions may require congressional approval, the current strikes are permissible. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that those concerned about drug-related violence should consider the source of the drugs.
The recent operation increases the total number of fatalities from these U.S. strikes to at least 43. There are ongoing discussions regarding whether the strikes serve a dual purpose of combating drug trafficking and exerting military pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a long-standing adversary of Trump, who has been accused of leading a drug-trafficking organization—a claim he denies.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c891gzx7xn4o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss