Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Oct 24: The US military has carried out its 10th strike against a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean, leaving six people dead, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Friday. The operation targeted a boat allegedly operated by the Tren de Aragua gang, which originated in a Venezuelan prison.
Hegseth said the strike occurred overnight in international waters and marked the first US military operation of its kind conducted at night. “If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda,” Hegseth stated. “Day or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you.”
A 20-second black-and-white video of the strike posted on social media showed a small boat apparently stationary on the water before a projectile triggered a massive explosion. The video cut off before the aftermath was fully visible.
The strike follows heightened US military activity in the Caribbean and off the coast of Venezuela, including a flight of supersonic bombers near Venezuelan waters on Thursday. Observers say these operations have raised speculation that President Donald Trump might be considering moves against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who faces US narcoterrorism charges.
Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino dismissed the US claims, stating the drug-trafficking accusations are false and the true intent is to “force a regime change” in Caracas.
Hegseth’s remarks have increasingly drawn parallels between the US “war on terror” post-9/11 and the Trump administration’s actions against drug cartels. Trump himself told reporters on Thursday, “I think we're just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country… They’re going to be like, dead.”
The military operations have sparked concern among lawmakers from both parties over the legality of unilateral strikes without Congressional authorization. Democrats have argued the actions violate international law. Senator Richard Blumenthal stated, “Expanding the geography simply expands the lawlessness and the recklessness in the use of the American military without seeming legal or practical justification.”
Earlier this month, Trump declared drug cartels to be unlawful combatants and asserted that the US is in an “armed conflict” with them. Despite opposition, the Republican-controlled Senate recently rejected a Democratic war powers resolution that would have required the president to seek Congressional approval before further strikes.
The pace of US military operations has increased sharply, from one strike every few weeks in September to three in the past week, with two carried out in the eastern Pacific Ocean, a major route for cocaine trafficking.