3 killed in latest US strike on alleged drug vessel in Caribbean: Hegseth
Three people were killed in another U.S. military airstrike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in a social media post.
In a post on X Saturday evening, Hegseth said that the vessel was "known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics."
"Three male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters," Hegseth said in the post. "All three terrorists were killed, and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike."
It marks the 15th strike -- in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific -- since the U.S. began its military campaign on Sept. 2, bringing the total number of people killed to 64.
Earlier this week, Hegseth announced multiple strikes in the Eastern Pacific.
The Trump administration this week provided more than a dozen Senate Republicans a secret target list for its ongoing military campaign in the Caribbean Sea, suggesting the administration is preparing for sustained operations against drug cartels and that it believed the military strikes could withstand potential legal challenges.
The meeting, which was only open to some Republican senators, was criticized by Senate Democrats.
