The U.S. military struck another alleged drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean Thursday, killing three people, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
The action brings the total number of strikes to at least 17. The death toll from the Trump administration’s anti-narcotics campaign has reached at least 69.
“As we’ve said before, vessel strikes on narco-terrorists will continue until their … poisoning of the American people stops,” Mr. Hegseth said on social media.
The U.S. has been carrying out such strikes since September and recently began ramping up its military presence in the Caribbean.
Critics say the strikes amount to extrajudicial killings even if they target known traffickers. The administration has not provided concrete evidence that its targets were smuggling narcotics.
President Trump has justified the strikes, saying the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with drug cartels and that the boats are operated by foreign terrorist organizations.
On Wednesday, Mr. Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed a small group of congressional leaders on the growing military campaign. On Thursday, Senate Republicans voted to reject legislation that would have checked the president’s ability to launch an attack against Venezuela.
“To all narco-terrorists who threaten our homeland: if you want to stay alive, stop trafficking drugs. If you keep trafficking deadly drugs —we will kill you,” Mr. Hegseth said in his post.
• Mary McCue Bell can be reached at mbell@washingtontimes.com.
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