US Strike on Suspected Venezuelan Drug Boat Kills Six in Caribbean
Pentagon says campaign aims to dismantle trafficking networks; UN raises human rights concerns
WASHINGTON:
An overnight US airstrike destroyed a boat allegedly operated by a Venezuelan drug trafficking group, killing six people in the Caribbean Sea, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday.
The attack marked the first nighttime strike in Washington’s expanding campaign against suspected drug smugglers in the region.
Operation Targets Drug Gangs in Regional Waters
Hegseth shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) showing a stationary vessel with outboard engines being blown up in an explosion.
“Six male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the strike, which took place in international waters,” he wrote. “If you are smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda. Day or night, we will track you and take you down.”
According to figures compiled by AFP from official US sources, this latest strike raises the total number of US operations against alleged traffickers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific to at least ten, with 43 people killed so far.
Human Rights Groups Question Legality
The United Nations human rights office expressed concern over the growing use of lethal force in the campaign.
“Under international law, intentional lethal force is permissible only as a last resort against someone posing an imminent threat to life,” said UN rights spokesperson Marta Hurtado Gomez. “Otherwise, it violates the right to life. Generally, no one should be killed for drug-related crimes.”
The US has yet to release evidence confirming that the targeted boats were carrying narcotics.
Rising Tensions with Venezuela
Washington launched the anti-narcotics campaign in early September, deploying Navy ships and stealth warplanes across the Caribbean. However, the strikes have further strained relations with Venezuela, which accuses the United States of seeking to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro.
Maduro said earlier this week that Venezuela had 5,000 Russian-made surface-to-air missiles ready to counter any potential US threat.
Flight tracking data showed that on Thursday, a US B-1B bomber flew over the Caribbean near Venezuela’s coast, following similar flights by B-52 bombers last week in what analysts described as a show of force.
Campaign Expands Amid Global Scrutiny
The US Defense Department insists the strikes are part of a broader regional strategy to curb transnational drug networks. However, critics argue that the campaign risks escalating military tensions and undermining international law.
While Washington continues its operations, rights groups have called for greater transparency, demanding proof that those targeted were actively engaged in trafficking rather than civilians or fishermen.
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