US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday that the US had carried out another strike against a ship alleged to belong to drug traffickers. The operation took place in the Caribbean Sea, targeting the Tren de Aragua criminal organization. Hegseth stated that six male narco-terrorists were on board and killed. This marks another in a series of strikes aimed at curtailing drug trafficking in the region, following President Trump's directive.
Hegseth shared a video showing the operation, which depicted a boat in crosshairs that exploded into a cloud of smoke. This was the tenth such strike conducted by the Trump administration since early September, primarily in the Caribbean and off South America. Concerns regarding the legality of these strikes have emerged from both sides of Congress, with allegations from Democratic senators about lacking evidence for the threats posed by these vessels.
Senator Rand Paul argues that such strikes need approval from Congress, while Trump insists he has the legal authority to act, designating Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that the only way to stop these strikes is for traffickers to cease sending drugs to the United States. The recent operation has resulted in a total of at least 43 deaths from US strikes, raising speculation that these are not solely about drug enforcement but also a strategy to apply pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a long-time adversary of Trump.
Hegseth shared a video showing the operation, which depicted a boat in crosshairs that exploded into a cloud of smoke. This was the tenth such strike conducted by the Trump administration since early September, primarily in the Caribbean and off South America. Concerns regarding the legality of these strikes have emerged from both sides of Congress, with allegations from Democratic senators about lacking evidence for the threats posed by these vessels.
Senator Rand Paul argues that such strikes need approval from Congress, while Trump insists he has the legal authority to act, designating Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that the only way to stop these strikes is for traffickers to cease sending drugs to the United States. The recent operation has resulted in a total of at least 43 deaths from US strikes, raising speculation that these are not solely about drug enforcement but also a strategy to apply pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a long-time adversary of Trump.
