First Night-Time Attack on Drug-Terrorist Smugglers in the Caribbean Sea Announced by Secretary of War

U.S. Military Conducts Nighttime Airstrike Against Drug Smugglers

Secretary of the Army Pete Hegseth recently announced a significant operation involving the first nighttime military attack against a drug smuggling ship in the Caribbean. He shared a video of the operation, which took place overnight and resulted in the deaths of six drug smugglers associated with the Venezuelan group Torren de Aragua.

In a post on social media platform X, Hegseth indicated that this attack was ordered by President Trump. He explained that the vessel was already known to U.S. intelligence for its illegal drug smuggling activities and was traveling along established drug routes. “This ship was transporting drugs,” Hegseth stated in his message.

He also included a thermal video showing the destruction of the vessel by U.S. military aircraft. Hegseth warned of potential future actions, emphasizing, “If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like al-Qaeda. We will monitor your networks, pursue you relentlessly, and eliminate the threat.”

According to Hegseth, the strike, conducted in international waters, marked the first nighttime airstrike in the region, resulting in the death of all six male narco-terrorists, while there were no casualties among U.S. forces.

This operation represents the ninth U.S. military attack against drug smuggling ships since President Trump initiated a military effort against narco-terrorism in early September. Just hours before this, Hegseth had reported another operation in the eastern Pacific Ocean off Colombia, the first such attack outside the Caribbean, signaling an expanded commitment to combat drug cartels at sea.

So far, military efforts have resulted in the death of at least 40 narco-terrorists on the high seas, according to reports. Just prior to this recent strike, 34 individuals had previously been killed in similar operations.

In earlier operations, the first Caribbean airstrike had claimed the lives of 11 narco-terrorists on September 2. This vessel, also connected to the Torren de Aragua gang, was identified as Venezuelan.

Shortly after taking office, President Trump designated Torren de Aragua and several drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations through an executive order aimed at combating such threats.