US Military Targets Drug Traffickers in Bold New Campaign

In a significant escalation of its military operations, the United States Southern Command announced early Tuesday that it had launched attacks against three vessels in international waters, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals. These vessels were reportedly traversing well-known narcotrafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were directly involved in drug trafficking activities. The operation was ordered by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and the military shared a video of the operation on the social media platform X. This latest initiative is part of a broader military campaign announced by former President Donald Trump, aimed at combating drug trafficking from the region, particularly from Venezuela. Over the course of this campaign, the U.S. has bombed a total of at least 26 suspected drug boats in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, with estimates of around 90 fatalities resulting from these attacks in international waters. The military’s deployment, which includes the U.S. Navy's largest aircraft carrier, the Gerald Ford, marks a drastic shift in the United States' traditional approach to narcotrafficking operations. Despite the expressed intentions of the Trump administration to justify the legality of these strikes, legal experts have pointed out that such actions could amount to illegal extrajudicial killings. This legal controversy has prompted Congressional inquiries, with Admiral Frank Bradley, head of Caribbean operations, being summoned to provide testimony following accusations that Secretary Hegseth may have ordered a second strike targeting surviving crew members of one of the attacked vessels. Bradley has denied these allegations. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson has defended the operations, emphasizing that they are lawful under U.S. and international law and comply with the Law of Armed Conflict. President Trump, on the other hand, insists that such counternarcotics operations are vital for national security, threatening to escalate the campaign into a second phase that would involve ground attacks against Venezuela. The administration has specifically targeted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of leading the Cartel of the Suns, an organization the State Department has classified as a terrorist group, subsequently allowing for more stringent sanctions against his regime. Throughout this tumultuous season of policy-making, Trump has refrained from a full-scale ground intervention in Venezuela, even engaging in a recent phone call with Maduro, which the Venezuelan leader described as respectful and cordial. The operations disclosed earlier this week took place near Colombia, further complicating diplomatic relationships, particularly with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, whom Trump has labeled as an 'illegal drug dealer.' The unfolding military campaign not only shifts U.S. strategy but raises many questions regarding military engagement protocols, international law, and the broader implications for U.S.-Latin American relations. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2