U.S. Conducts 16th Strike on Suspected Drug Vessel, Deploys Aircraft Carrier to Caribbean

The U.S. military has carried out its 16th strike on a vessel suspected of drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in two fatalities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the operation, stating that the campaign has now led to at least 66 deaths.

President Donald Trump has justified these actions by declaring that the United States is in "armed conflict" with drug cartels, alleging that the targeted boats are operated by foreign terrorist organizations. However, the administration has not provided specific evidence to support these claims.

"We will find and terminate EVERY vessel with the intention of trafficking drugs to America to poison our citizens," Hegseth posted while on a trip to Asia.

The latest strike coincides with the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier to the Caribbean, as ordered by Hegseth. The carrier, accompanied by the destroyer USS Bainbridge, has left the Mediterranean Sea and is en route to the region to enhance U.S. efforts in monitoring and disrupting drug trafficking operations.

This escalation has drawn international criticism. United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk has called for the U.S. to halt these attacks and prevent the extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats.

The Trump administration's intensified military actions in Latin America have also raised concerns among U.S. lawmakers, who are seeking more information on the legal justification for the strikes, given that Congress has not authorized military action in the region.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism in the United States, has accused the U.S. government of "fabricating" a war against him. In a recent interview, President Trump was asked if the U.S. was going to war with Venezuela. He responded: "I doubt it. I don't think so. But they've been treating us very badly, not only on drugs."

In the latest strike, a video posted by Hegseth on social media shows a boat in the water before it's destroyed, followed by footage of the vessel engulfed in flames.