US strikes another alleged drug boat bringing death toll from campaign in Latin America to 70 [View all]

Source: The Guardian and agencies

US strikes another alleged drug boat bringing death toll from campaign in Latin America to 70

US strikes have destroyed at least 18 vessels, but Washington has yet to make public any concrete evidence that its targets posed a threat to America

Guardian staff and agencies
Fri 7 Nov 2025 04.25 GMT
Last modified on Fri 7 Nov 2025 19.53 GMT

US forces struck another alleged drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean, killing three people, defense secretary Pete Hegseth has said, bringing the death toll from the Trump administration’s controversial campaign to at least 70.

The US began carrying out such strikes – which some experts say amount to extrajudicial killings even if they target known traffickers – in early September, taking aim at vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

The US strikes have destroyed at least 18 vessels so far – 17 boats and a semi-submersible – but Washington has yet to make public any concrete evidence that its targets were smuggling narcotics or posed a threat to the United States.

Hegseth released footage on X of the latest strike, which he said took place in international waters like the previous strikes and targeted “a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization.”

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/07/us-strikes-another-alleged-drug-boat-latin-america