U.S. Strikes Another Alleged Drug Boat in Caribbean

By Brooke Bihl

U.S. forces have conducted its 17th lethal strike against an alleged drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Thursday. The strike comes after the U.S. carried out its first attack in September, as part of an ongoing campaign Washington says is aimed at curtailing the flow of illicit drugs into the U.S. The most recent strike occurred in international waters and left three dead, Hegseth said. So far, the attacks have destroyed 18 vessels and brought the total death toll to at least 70. Last month the Trump administration approved covert operations in Venezuela, which was followed by a surge of significant naval forces into the area. So far, six Navy ships have been deployed along with F-35 stealth warplanes to Puerto Rico. 

Members of Congress and human rights groups have questioned the attacks, since the Trump administration has provided no public evidence of the presence of narcotics on the boats struck, or their affiliation with drug cartels. On Thursday, the Senate blocked a Democratic war powers resolution that would have forced the White House to seek congressional approval for the strikes. The 51-49 vote was largely along party lines with just two Republicans, Sens. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) and Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska), joining all Democrats in supporting the measure. This is the second war-powers resolution regarding the U.S. activities in the Caribbean that has failed to pass in the Senate.