Pentagon strikes alleged Tren de Aragua drug boat in Caribbean, kills 6 ‘narco-terrorists’

(The Hill) - The Defense Department (DOD) struck an alleged Tren de Aragua (TdA) drug boat overnight in the Caribbean Sea, killing six “narco-terrorists,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed Friday morning. 

Hegseth said the vessel was involved in “illicit narcotics smuggling” and moving through a “known narco-trafficking route.” 

The strike, the 10th by the U.S. military since the campaign started in early September, took place in international waters and was the first attack that was conducted at night, according to the Defense secretary. No U.S. forces were harmed during the operation. 

“If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda,” Hegseth wrote. “Day or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you.”

Hegseth shared a 20-second surveillance video of the boat being struck and engulfed in flames. The U.S. government has designated TdA, a transnational criminal organization that originated from Venezuela, as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year.

The U.S. military, under the direction of President Trump, has continued to strike alleged drug-smuggling boats in both the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Venezuela, and more recently in the East Pacific. 

The U.S. military has killed at least 43 people, according to the Trump administration, since the U.S. military began taking out vessels officials say are transporting narcotics in hopes of reaching the U.S.  

The two strikes earlier this week were conducted against alleged drug-smuggling boats in the East Pacific, killing five “narco-terrorists.”

So far, the administration has not provided evidence of its claims that the targeted vessels are smuggling narcotics. 

The boat-strike campaign is part of the administration’s effort to turn up the pressure against Venezuela’s authoritarian president Nicolás Maduro, who Trump and other administration officials see as an “illegitimate” leader.” 

The U.S. military has beefed up its presence in the Caribbean, deploying warships and having about 10,000 U.S. forces supporting counternarcotics operations in the region. Earlier this month, Trump confirmed that he has authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela. 

Trump has also raised the prospects of the U.S. military conducting strikes inside Venezuela, likely targeting drug cartel infrastructure. On Thursday, the president dismissed the need to ask Congress for a declaration of war for strikes on alleged cartel boats. 

“I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war,” Trump said. “I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. Okay? We’re going to kill them.

The U.S. military campaign has sparked blowback from Democrats in Congress and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who argue the administration needs Congress’s authorization and that the strikes are illegal. 

Trump said on Wednesday that the administration may go to Congress for authorization to target cartel members smuggling narcotics on land. 

“We will hit them very hard when they come in by land. And they haven’t experienced that yet, but now we’re totally prepared to do that. We’ll probably go back to Congress and explain exactly what we’re doing when [they] come to the land,” the president said at the White House.