In a significant move against drug trafficking, the U.S. military recently destroyed a boat in the Caribbean, which it identified as a vehicle for smuggling narcotics.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that the operation was justified under the premise that the traffickers posed an “imminent threat” to the United States.
During a press briefing, Hegseth equated drug trafficking by foreign terrorist organizations to the actions of groups like al-Qaida, asserting that such entities would be treated similarly when operating in international waters.
The operation involved the destruction of the vessel, which President Donald Trump reported was carrying 11 members of the Tren De Aragua gang, a Venezuelan criminal organization designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S.
Trump shared a video of the strike on social media platform Truth Social, claiming that the individuals on the boat were engaged in drug smuggling aimed at the U.S. market at the time they were targeted.
Hegseth addressed questions regarding the legal basis for the military’s actions, stating that the Department of Defense possessed “absolute and complete authority” to execute such strikes against those involved in drug trafficking, describing the consequences of drug-related deaths as an “assault on the American people.”
“If you’re trafficking in drugs and you’re a known cartel entity, a designated terror organization, and you’re headed to the United States or are part of a process that would head to the United States, that will have lethal consequences,” Hegseth explained, highlighting the severity of the threat posed by these organizations.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Hegseth refrained from specifying which drug cartels the U.S. military was actively targeting.
He also did not disclose the methods by which the Department had confirmed the identities and actions of those aboard the destroyed boat.
Hegseth stated, “We knew exactly who they were, exactly what they were doing, what they represented, and why they were going where they were going,” adding that there were “plenty of ways” to ascertain the identities of the individuals involved.
In preparation for such operations, the U.S. military has bolstered its naval presence in the Caribbean, deploying numerous warships, including the USS Iwo Jima and the USS San Antonio, alongside approximately 4,500 Marines and sailors of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.
The escalation of U.S. naval forces has incited a response from the Venezuelan government, led by Nicolas Maduro, who has mobilized troops to the Colombia border and urged citizens to join a civilian militia.
In an added display of tension, two Venezuelan military aircraft, armed F-16s, recently flew over a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters, an action described by defense officials as a “show of force.”
The Pentagon characterized this maneuver as particularly provocative and aimed at disrupting ongoing U.S. counternarcotics efforts.
Hegseth warned that the recent military strike against the drug boat represents only the beginning of U.S. actions against drug trafficking entities.
“We smoked a drug boat, and there are 11 narcoterrorists at the bottom of the ocean,” he stated.
He concluded with a stark warning to future traffickers, indicating that they would face similar fates if they continued to attempt to smuggle narcotics into the U.S.
image source from：taskandpurpose
