The U.S. military carried out another boat strike in the Eastern Pacific on Thursday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed, hours after facing criticism over a controversial attack on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean earlier this year.
Hegseth’s announcement followed a Capitol Hill briefing by Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, who defended the September 2 “double tap” strike. That operation targeted a boat allegedly carrying narcotics, but the follow-up strike killed survivors of the initial attack, raising concerns among some lawmakers and human rights observers that it could constitute a war crime.
Social media reactions included support from some conservative figures. Andrew Kolvet, spokesperson for the late Charlie Kirk’s nonprofit Turning Point USA, expressed approval online, prompting Hegseth to announce the Eastern Pacific strike in response.
The U.S. Southern Command reported that the latest operation killed four individuals on a vessel described as operated by a designated terrorist organization and confirmed to be transporting illegal narcotics. It was conducted in international waters along a known trafficking route. The strike is understood to be the 22nd in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific since the Trump Administration began targeting drug smuggling by sea. Total deaths from these operations reportedly now stand at 87.
The strikes have drawn bipartisan calls for investigation. Reports emerged that Hegseth had given a “kill everybody” directive, leading to the second strike on the survivors of the first. Both Hegseth and Adm. Bradley have denied issuing orders to kill all personnel aboard the September 2 vessel. The White House maintains the strikes were lawful, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating Bradley acted “within his authority and the law.”
Lawmakers who attended Thursday’s briefing were divided in their reactions. Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas called the operations “righteous strikes” and “entirely lawful.” Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island said the footage reviewed confirmed his concerns about the Trump Administration’s military operations and demanded the release of unedited video as part of an investigation.
Former President Donald Trump has claimed the targeted vessels were manned by members of the Venezuelan cartel Tren De Aragua, linked to President Nicolás Maduro’s government—a claim reportedly disputed by U.S. analysts. The U.S. military has deployed warships, fighter jets, marines, drones, and intelligence assets to the Caribbean region, and Trump has indicated that future operations could include land strikes against Venezuelan targets.
Venezuelan President Maduro, meanwhile, has vowed to defend the country against perceived U.S. aggression. Speaking at a November rally, he called on citizens to protect the nation “from imperialist threat or aggression, no matter where it comes from.”
The situation highlights escalating tensions in the Caribbean and Latin America, with U.S. military actions under scrutiny for both legality and the human cost involved.
