Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. military conducted another strike on a suspected drug trafficking boat, this time in the Caribbean Sea.
“Today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization,” Hegseth said in his social media post.
“The vessel was trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean and was struck in international waters. No U.S. forces were harmed in the strike, and three male narco-terrorists — who were aboard the vessel — were killed,” Hegseth added.
The three people killed in this latest strike put the known number of casualties of suspected drug traffickers or “narco-terrorists” at 70. It was the 17th known military strike against such boats and vessels.
As he usually does to conclude his posts announcing military strikes, Hegseth issued a warning to those engaged in drug trafficking and looking to do so in the U.S.
“To all narco-terrorists who threaten our homeland: if you want to stay alive, stop trafficking drugs,” said Hegseth. “If you keep trafficking deadly drugs—we will kill you.”
Several members of Congress have expressed concern about such military strikes, arguing that they are unconstitutional. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has been an outspoken critic of the military strikes. Earlier this week, he reiterated his reasons for opposing them, likening them to executions.
“These are small outboards with no fentanyl and no path to Florida. To kill indiscriminately is akin to summary execution!” said Paul. “Everyone should get a trial because sometimes the system gets it wrong. Even the worst of the worst in our country get due process.”
“The Coast Guard doesn’t blow up boats off Miami because 25% of the time their suspicion is wrong. Venezuela is no different,” Paul said. “The bottom line is that execution without process is not justice, and blowing up foreign ships is a recipe for chaos.”