The US military executed a targeted strike on a vessel in the Caribbean on Thursday, resulting in three fatalities, as confirmed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. In a statement posted on X, Hegseth revealed that the operation was authorized by President Trump and targeted a ship operated by a designated terrorist organization involved in narcotics trafficking. The strike occurred in international waters, and no US personnel were harmed. This action is part of a broader campaign initiated on September 2, which has so far led to 70 deaths, the destruction of 18 boats, and three survivors, two of whom were briefly detained by the US Navy before being repatriated. The Trump administration has declared an ‘armed conflict’ against drug cartels, labeling those killed as ‘unlawful combatants’ and asserting the authority to conduct lethal strikes without judicial oversight, based on a classified Justice Department finding. Critics, including some members of Congress and human rights groups, have challenged this approach, arguing that suspected drug traffickers should face prosecution rather than extrajudicial killings. The administration has yet to provide public evidence linking the targeted vessels to drug cartels or confirming the presence of narcotics. Additionally, the US has intensified efforts to associate Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro with the drug trade, despite Venezuela not being a major source of cocaine for the US market. During a classified briefing, lawmakers were informed that the current legal framework does not permit strikes within Venezuela or other territories, though future actions remain a possibility.