The U.S. military reported that four individuals were killed in the Caribbean Sea during its 20th operation targeting a boat suspected of drug trafficking, marking an escalation in the Trump administration’s activities in South American waters. The most recent incident occurred on Monday, as confirmed by a social media post from U.S. Southern Command, which is responsible for military operations in the Caribbean and Latin America. This brings the total casualties from the operations, which began in September, to 80. The Mexican Navy ceased searching for a survivor after a strike in late October following a four-day effort.
A video shared by Southern Command displayed a boat moving swiftly on water before being engulfed in flames. The command stated that intelligence verified the vessel’s involvement in illicit drug smuggling, traveling along a known narco-trafficking route while carrying narcotics. This post from Southern Command marks a departure from the usual practice of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who typically announces such attacks on social media but promptly reposted Southern Command’s statement.
Concurrently, the Trump administration is bolstering the U.S. military presence in the region by deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier. This advanced warship is en route from the Mediterranean Sea and is expected to arrive in the region soon. Hegseth officially named the mission Operation Southern Spear on Thursday, underlining the increasing importance and permanence of the military’s presence. Upon the carrier’s arrival, the mission will involve nearly a dozen U.S. navy ships along with approximately 12,000 sailors and marines.
The administration has defended the build-up of warships as a measure to halt the influx of drugs into the U.S., though it has not provided evidence to substantiate its claims that those aboard the targeted boats were “narcoterrorists.” The strikes have primarily targeted vessels in the Caribbean Sea, with some operations extending to the eastern Pacific Ocean, a key route for cocaine smuggling from major producers worldwide.
Some analysts suggest that the aircraft carrier could serve as a significant tool of intimidation against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is facing accusations of narcoterrorism in the U.S. Opinions vary on whether U.S. warplanes might engage in land bombardments to pressure Maduro to resign.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that the U.S. does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s leader due to allegations of electoral fraud last year. He has labeled the Venezuelan government as a “trans-shipment organization” cooperating openly with drug traffickers targeting the U.S. Maduro has dismissed U.S. allegations of waging a war against him as baseless. In response, Venezuela’s government announced a significant mobilization of troops and civilians to counter potential U.S. threats.
President Trump has justified the attacks by claiming the U.S. is in a state of “armed conflict” with drug cartels and alleging that the targeted boats are operated by foreign terrorist groups flooding American cities with drugs. Lawmakers, including Republicans, have demanded more transparency regarding the targets and legal justifications for the strikes. Rubio and Hegseth recently met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers overseeing national security matters, providing insight into the legal reasoning and strategy behind the operations. Senate Republicans subsequently voted against a proposal aimed at restricting Trump’s authority to launch attacks on Venezuela without congressional approval.