Trump Administration Launches Deadly Strike in Caribbean, Killing Six

The Trump administration has confirmed another airstrike in the Caribbean Sea, killing six people aboard what it described as a drug-trafficking vessel off the Venezuelan coast. The attack marks the fifth U.S. strike in the region since early September, bringing the total reported death toll to 27.

Former President Donald Trump announced the operation on social media, saying it was ordered “under my standing authorities as Commander-in-Chief.” According to Trump, the “lethal kinetic strike” targeted a boat affiliated with a “Designated Terrorist Organization.”

“The strike was conducted in international waters, and six male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel were killed,” Trump said, adding that no U.S. forces were harmed.

As with previous incidents, Trump offered no evidence to support his claim that the vessel was engaged in narcotics trafficking. He shared an unclassified video showing a small, motionless boat moments before being struck by a missile.

The latest strike follows a series of similar U.S. bombings in the Caribbean, on September 2, 15, and 19, and October 3. Critics and human rights groups have condemned the operations as violations of international law, noting that suspected drug traffickers are not considered combatants.

Despite growing criticism, the Trump administration has defended the strikes as part of a broader campaign against “narco-terrorists.” In early October, the White House told Congress that the U.S. is engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels, classifying them as “unlawful combatants.”

The attacks come amid a buildup of U.S. military presence in the Caribbean and renewed tensions with Venezuela. At a press conference on Tuesday, Trump again accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, without evidence, of sending criminal gangs, including the Tren de Aragua, into the United States.