Event / Conflict
Ongoing campaign of US military strikes targeting alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, conducted in coordination with Latin American allies. Operations have resulted in significant casualties, with ongoing concerns about civilian impacts and legal oversight.
2026-08-11 to 2026-11-08 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 13 Apr, 11:06 UTC
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The U.S. military conducted a lethal strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on April 24, 2026, killing two people. U.S. Southern Command stated the vessel was operated by designated terrorist organizations and was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes. The military posted a video showing the boat being destroyed in an explosion.
The U.S. military campaign targeting alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean began in early September 2025 and has killed at least 183 people. The strikes have been conducted under the Trump administration's direction as part of counter-narcotics operations in the region. The military has not provided detailed evidence that the targeted vessels were carrying drugs.
President Donald Trump stated that the United States is in armed conflict with drug cartels in Latin America and justified the military strikes on boats as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. Trump characterized the military campaign as an act of kindness aimed at preventing overdose deaths in the US.
The United States built up its largest military presence in Latin America in generations as part of the counter-narcotics campaign against alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the region.
Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured in January 2026 during a U.S. military raid and brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges. Maduro has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Legal experts have questioned the overall legality of the U.S. military boat strikes under both domestic and international law. Civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have vowed to challenge the strikes through all available legal pathways. The families of two men from Trinidad killed in a strike have filed a lawsuit against the government.
United Nations officials have described the U.S. military campaign targeting boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific as a flagrant violation of human rights. The American Civil Liberties Union called for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to investigate the killings.
Ben Saul, the United Nations special rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights, declared on March 13, 2025 that the U.S. military strikes constitute serial extrajudicial killings that gravely violate the right to life under international law. Saul stated the attacks were not acts of national self-defense because the vessels were not engaged in armed attacks on the U.S., and that drug trafficking is a crime, not war.
President Donald Trump has stated that the United States is in armed conflict with 10 drug cartels and gangs he designated as terrorist organizations since returning to office in January 2025. Trump has justified the military strikes as a necessary escalation to stem drug flow into the United States and prevent fatal overdoses.
The U.S. military conducted a strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea on Sunday, April 20, 2025, resulting in three deaths. U.S. Southern Command stated the vessel was operated by a designated terrorist organization and was transiting known narco-trafficking routes. The military released a video showing the boat before a large explosion engulfed the vessel in flames. No evidence of drug cargo was provided by the military.
On April 16, 2025, a group of Democratic lawmakers led by Representative John Larson of Connecticut filed six articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. One article accuses Hegseth of violating the law of armed conflict through ordering strikes on boats in the Caribbean as part of the anti-drug smuggling campaign.
Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured in a U.S. military raid in January 2025 and brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges. Maduro has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Trump administration has established its largest military presence in the Latin American region in recent generations as part of its campaign against alleged drug trafficking and narco-terrorism operations in the Western Hemisphere.
The Trump administration has conducted a campaign of military strikes against alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American and eastern Pacific waters since early September 2024. The operation has resulted in at least 180-181 confirmed deaths across more than 50-55 strikes on suspected smuggling boats. The campaign has intensified in recent weeks, with 17 people killed in six strikes over one week period.
Democrats, human rights groups, and critics have repeatedly condemned the military strikes on alleged drug-smuggling vessels and questioned their overall legality. Critics accuse the Trump administration of violating international and maritime law by using the military to conduct law enforcement drug operations.
Families of two Trinidadian men killed in a U.S. missile strike on a boat in the Caribbean filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing the killings lack legal justification and may constitute premeditated and intentional killings.
The U.S. military conducted strikes on two boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean on April 11, killing a total of five people and leaving one survivor. The U.S. Southern Command said the boats were transiting along known drug-trafficking routes and were operated by alleged narco-traffickers, though the military did not provide evidence of drug trafficking.
Ceasefire negotiations between the United States and Iran held in Pakistan concluded without reaching an agreement. The talks were conducted as the two countries were engaged in military conflict.
President Trump announced that the U.S. Navy would begin a blockade of ships entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz after U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan ended without agreement. The blockade would involve Iranian ports and is intended to weaken Iran's leverage in the ongoing conflict. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway through which approximately 20 percent of global oil normally passes.
The U.S. military's campaign targeting alleged drug-trafficking boats has resulted in at least 168 deaths since the Trump administration began the operation in early September. The strikes have occurred in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea along known smuggling routes.
Trump declares military conflict with Western Hemisphere drug cartels, deploying largest Latin American military presence in generations with 181+ deaths since September.
Trump blockade announced as Iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan collapse without agreement.
US military boat strikes have killed at least 168 people since September; lawsuit filed by affected families.
