According to officials, the U.S. conducted a nighttime strike, ordered by President, against a suspected Tren de Aragua vessel in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in the deaths of six alleged narco-terrorists.
War Secretary announced on X that, following President Trump’s orders, the Department of War executed a deadly kinetic strike overnight on a Tren de Aragua (TdA) vessel, identified as a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO), which was smuggling narcotics in the Caribbean Sea. He also shared a video of the strike, stating that intelligence indicated the vessel was engaged in illegal drug smuggling, was traveling on a recognized narco-trafficking path, and contained narcotics.
He further stated that six male narco-terrorists were on board the vessel during the operation, which occurred in international waters and represented the first nighttime strike. All six terrorists died, and no U.S. personnel sustained injuries.
Hegseth issued an additional warning, stating, “Any narco-terrorist smuggling drugs within our hemisphere will be dealt with in the same manner as [al Qaeda]. Whether by day or NIGHT, we will identify your networks, pursue your personnel, locate you, and eliminate you.”
This strike constitutes the tenth such operation against suspected drug traffickers since Trump resumed office. The president has made the fight against the national drug crisis a key policy priority.
Officials reported that the initial strike occurred on September 2nd, and since that time, 43 suspected drug traffickers have been killed, while two have survived. The frequency of these strikes has accelerated, increasing from one every few weeks in September to three already this week.
The majority of these operations have focused on vessels associated with Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua network. These missions have included assaults on smuggling boats and the destruction of a submersible, with Hegseth and Trump releasing video evidence of several operations on social media platforms.
On Thursday, when asked by reporters if he intended to seek a congressional declaration of war against the cartels, Trump indicated that this was not his intention.
During a White House roundtable with homeland security officials, Trump stated, “I believe we are simply going to eliminate individuals who are bringing drugs into our nation, alright? We’re going to kill them, you understand? They’re going to be, well, deceased.”
Earlier this month, Trump designated drug cartels as unlawful combatants and asserted that the U.S. was engaged in an “armed conflict” against them.
Lawmakers from both Republican and Democratic parties are scrutinizing Trump’s choice to initiate these operations without prior consultation with Congress. Several Democrats are cautioning that these strikes might violate international law.
Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, has also voiced apprehension regarding the killing of individuals without due process. In a recent interview, Paul referenced statistics indicating that a substantial proportion of vessels boarded on suspicion of drug trafficking are found to be innocent.
The senator additionally contended that should the administration intend to wage war against Venezuela, given its recent targeting of boats it alleges are transporting drugs for the Venezuela-affiliated Tren de Aragua gang, it is constitutionally obligated to obtain a declaration of war from Congress.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has also criticized the strikes, advocating for a criminal investigation into Trump and other implicated officials. He claimed that an innocent Colombian fisherman died during one of these operations.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has alleged that the Trump administration is employing these strikes as an attempt to compel a change in government within his nation.
Senators Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, and Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, have supported the strikes, describing them as a legitimate display of force against narco-terrorists.
Landon Mion and The Associated Press contributed to this news report.