On Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed that the United States conducted another lethal strike targeting a vessel suspected of trafficking drugs in the Caribbean Sea. This operation resulted in the deaths of three individuals aboard the boat, he stated.

This latest action is part of a larger initiative by the Trump administration to combat narcotics trafficking in South American waters. Hegseth noted that the campaign has now resulted in at least 69 fatalities over the course of 17 different strikes.

Hegseth took to social media to share a brief 20-second video capturing the strike. Alongside the footage, he commented, “As we’ve emphasized before, we will persist with vessel strikes against narco-terrorists until their poisoning of the American populace ceases.”

The Defense Secretary further alleged that the vessel was under the control of a “Designated Terrorist Organization,” underscoring the serious nature of the threat as perceived by the administration.

President Donald Trump has defended these aggressive measures by declaring that the United States is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. He has also asserted that these vessels are often operated by organizations classified as foreign terrorist groups.

The administration has not provided evidence or more details.

Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed a small group of congressional leaders Wednesday on the growing military campaign, providing one of the first high-level glimpses into the legal rationale and strategy behind the strikes.

Republicans emerged either staying silent or expressing confidence in the campaign.

Democrats said Congress needs more information on how the strikes are conducted and the legal justification for actions that critics say violate international and US law by killing alleged drug smugglers on the high seas.

On Thursday, Senate Republicans voted to reject legislation that would have put a check on Trump’s ability to launch an attack against Venezuela, as Democrats pressed Congress to take a stronger role in Trump’s high-stakes campaign against President Nicolás Maduro.