• The US carried out a lethal strike in the Caribbean, killing three alleged narco-terrorists.
• This operation marks a continuation of America's intensified anti-drug trafficking campaign in international waters.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that strikes will continue until drug trafficking ceases.
• Opposition raised by human rights groups and some lawmakers regarding the legality of the strikes.
• Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accuses the US of using drug enforcement as a pretext for military aggression against his regime.

The United States conducted a lethal strike on an alleged drug trafficking vessel in the Caribbean, killing three men deemed “narco-terrorists.” This operation, executed under the direction of President Donald Trump, is part of an intensified campaign against drug trafficking that began in early September. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the strike took place in international waters, asserting that it targeted a vessel linked to a Designated Terrorist Organization involved in narcotics smuggling. Hegseth emphasized that these strikes would persist until the trafficking of deadly drugs ceases, according to Indiatimes and SCMP.

This recent strike is noted as the 17th in a series of operations targeting suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean, which have collectively resulted in over 70 deaths since the campaign's inception. Hegseth and other officials have released video footage of the strikes, while maintaining that no U.S. personnel were harmed. Despite this, evidence supporting claims that the targeted vessels pose a direct threat to the U.S. has not been publicly disclosed, raising concerns about the legality of these operations under international law, according to Al Jazeera and ABC News.

Critics, including human rights advocates and some members of Congress, have described the strikes as extrajudicial killings, voicing demands for transparency and a formal legal justification for the military’s actions in international waters. These calls for clarification are underscored by the UN’s requests for the U.S. to cease its military engagements, which have been criticized as lacking legal grounds, according to CBS News and AA.

In the geopolitical context, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused the Trump administration of fabricating a war narrative against his government, asserting that such strikes are part of a broader strategy to destabilize his regime. Trump has previously indicated his willingness to take more direct military action against Venezuela, further complicating the situation in the region, according to ABC News and CBS News.