U.S. strike on suspected drug vessel leaves 11 dead in new operation

U.S. military forces killed 11 people Monday during strikes on three suspected drug-smuggling vessels, marking one of the deadliest days in the Trump administration's months-long crackdown on traffickers.

The recent operation brings the total death toll from U.S. airstrikes to 145 since September, when President Donald Trump directed the military to target "narcoterrorists" on small boats. The Associated Press has documented 42 such attacks along smuggling routes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.

U.S. Southern Command released video of the latest strikes, asserting the vessels were manned by drug traffickers. However, the footage does not provide independent confirmation of those claims.

According to officials, four people were killed on two boats in the Pacific, while three others died on a vessel in the Caribbean. No U.S. forces were injured during the strikes.

Legal experts have questioned the legality of the initiative, arguing the attacks amount to extrajudicial military killings conducted without the presence of an imminent threat of violence.

The latest naval strikes in the Caribbean signal a decisive and controversial pivot in U.S. counter-narcotics strategy under the Trump administration, marking a transition from traditional law enforcement toward a militarized foreign policy. By redesignating smuggling suspects as "narcoterrorists," the administration is effectively creating a legal architecture to bypass civilian judicial processes in favor of direct military engagement. This shift establishes a precarious precedent where the military operates as both judge and executioner on the high seas, fundamentally eroding the principle of due process.

While U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) asserts that these operations are based on actionable intelligence, the lack of verifiable, public evidence in released mission footage has invited skepticism regarding target identification. Policy analysts and advocacy groups, most notably the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), have voiced alarm that this tactical escalation grants the military an "unlimited license to kill" under the guise of national security.

The broader geopolitical implications are equally significant. These maritime operations follow the U.S. indictment of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and coincide with the strategic redeployment of naval assets toward the Middle East to counter Iranian influence. This suggests that the counter-drug surge functions as both a domestic policy priority and a geopolitical instrument intended to project power within Venezuela’s sphere of influence. However, the diversion of high-value military resources between competing theaters raises persistent questions about the long-term sustainability and the actual efficacy of such a high-cost campaign.