Washington, D.C. — The United States military has confirmed it sunk 15 boats and killed 61 people in a series of 12 attacks across the Caribbean and Pacific, signaling a major escalation in Washington’s campaign against Latin American drug trafficking.
The Trump administration has defended the strikes as part of its “war on drugs,” framing the operations as a “direct armed conflict” against cartels designated as terrorist organizations.
The campaign began in August, when U.S. warships were deployed to the Caribbean, initially focusing on Venezuela, but has since expanded to include Colombian coastal waters in the Pacific.
Both Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, whom former President Donald Trump accuses of ties to drug cartels, have denounced the U.S. actions as “murders” and “extrajudicial executions.”
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have questioned the legality of the operations, warning that such military strikes in international waters may violate international law.
📅 Timeline of U.S. Strikes
- Sept. 2: First strike sinks a Venezuelan vessel; 11 killed.
- Sept. 15: Second strike kills 3 Venezuelans.
- Sept. 19: Third strike kills 3 near the Dominican Republic.
- Oct. 3: Fourth attack in Caribbean waters kills 4.
- Oct. 14: Fifth attack near Venezuela kills 6.
- Oct. 16: Submarine targeted; 2 killed, 2 survivors repatriated.
- Oct. 17: Strike on ELN-linked vessel kills 3.
- Oct. 21: First Pacific strike near Colombia kills 2.
- Oct. 22: Ninth attack near Colombia kills 3.
- Oct. 24: Tenth strike in Caribbean kills 6.
- Oct. 28: Deadliest operation—4 boats hit, 14 killed.
- Oct. 29: Latest strike kills 4 in Pacific waters.
The operations, described by Pentagon officials as “ongoing and expanding,” have drawn sharp diplomatic backlash across Latin America and ignited debate over U.S. military engagement beyond its borders.
📍 This marks one of Washington’s most aggressive anti-narcotics offensives in decades, reshaping U.S. foreign policy dynamics in the Western Hemisphere.
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