Tension as US War Soldiers Strike Terrorists' Vessels in the Caribbean Amid Threats Against Nigeria
- The US military confirmed it carried out a deadly strike on a terrorist vessel in the Caribbean killing three people and leaving no harm to its forces
- The strike was part of a broader US campaign targeting drug tr@fficking networks that had destroyed 18 boats and killed 70 individuals since its launch
- The Trump administration faced backlash as critics and rights groups questioned the legality of classifying trafflckers as unlawful combatants without judicial review
The United States military has confirmed it carried out a deadly strike on a vessel operated by a designated terrorist organisation in the Caribbean on Thursday, November 7, killing three people.
Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said the operation was authorised by President Donald Trump and executed by the Department of War.
Source: Getty Images
“Today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organisation,” Hegseth announced in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).
He added,
“The vessel was trafficklng narcotics in the Caribbean and was struck in international waters. No US forces were harmed in the operation.”
Ongoing US campaign targets drug trafflcking
According to Hegseth, Thursday’s strike formed part of a wider campaign launched by Washington to curtail the flow of narcotics into the United States.
The campaign has so far resulted in 17 strikes, destroying 18 boats and killing 70 individuals, with only three survivors.
Two of the survivors were briefly detained by the US Navy before being repatriated, while one remains missing and is presumed dead.
A senior Pentagon official described the operation as part of a “decisive strategy to dismantle terror-linked drug networks.”
Legal concerns over Trump administration’s actions
However, the strikes have stirred controversy within Congress and among human rights groups.
Source: Getty Images
Critics have questioned the Trump administration’s classification of drug trafflckers as “unlawful combatants” and its justification for conducting lethal strikes without judicial oversight.
The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel reportedly issued a classified opinion supporting the administration’s authority to conduct such operations under wartime provisions.
Human rights advocates have argued that suspected trafflckers should face prosecution rather than extrajudicial killings.
Washington distances itself from potential strikes in Venezuela
The Trump administration has also been trying to link Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to drug trafflcking, even as it deploys a growing military presence near Caracas.
However, during a closed-door briefing to Congress, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Hegseth, and White House legal officials told lawmakers that the US currently has no plans to conduct strikes inside Venezuela.
“The legal justification for these maritime strikes does not extend to land-based targets,” one official clarified.
Still, officials did not entirely rule out future actions, with one source stating, “All options remain on the table should threats escalate.”
Trump orders resumption of US nuclear weapons testing
Previously, Legit.ng reported that President Donald Trump has directed the United States military to resume nuclear weapons testing, ending a moratorium that has been in place since 1992.
The move, which he said is necessary to keep pace with Russia and China, signals a dramatic shift in American nuclear policy.
Source: Legit.ng
