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Another deadly US strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean Sea was announced on Thursday, bringing the death toll from the Trump administration’s campaign in South American waters to at least 69 people across some 17 strikes.
The attack killed three people aboard the vessel, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said, posting a 20-second strike video on social media.
“As we’ve said before, vessel strikes on narco-terrorists will continue until their poisoning of the American people stops,” he said.
Hegseth claimed the vessel was “operated by a designated terrorist organisation.” “If you continue to traffic drugs, we will kill you,” Hegseth concluded.
US President Donald Trump has justified the strikes by claiming Washington is in “armed conflict” with drug cartels and asserting foreign terror organisations operate the boats. The administration has not provided evidence or additional details.
Hegseth and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed a small group of congressional leaders on Wednesday on the expanding military campaign, providing one of the first high-level glimpses into the legal rationale and strategy behind the strikes.
Republicans emerged either silent or expressing confidence in the campaign. Democrats said Congress requires more information on strike procedures and legal justification for actions critics say violate international and US law by killing alleged drug smugglers on the high seas.
Venezuela and Colombia have denounced the attacks as extrajudicial killings. The Trump administration has rejected the allegations.
Recently, Washington has escalated its rhetoric against the regime of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, fuelling fears of possible US military intervention on its territory, something Trump denies.