The United States military has launched another deadly strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean Sea, killing three people on board, according to Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth stated on X that the operation was conducted on Saturday under the direction of President Donald Trump. He said the strike targeted a vessel operated by what the U.S. government has classified as a Designated Terrorist Organisation (DTO).

The defence secretary added that the boat was travelling along a known narco-trafficking route, carrying narcotics, and was struck in international waters.

According to Hegseth, three men whom he described as “narco-terrorists” were killed in the operation, and no U.S. personnel were injured. The Pentagon also released an unclassified video of the strike.

The latest attack marks the 15th known U.S. military strike against suspected drug-smuggling vessels since the Trump administration began these operations in early September. The campaign, which has been conducted across the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, has reportedly killed a total of 64 people.

Hegseth emphasised that those involved in trafficking narcotics would be treated exactly how they treated Al-Qaeda, saying the department would continue to “track, map, hunt, and kill” them.

Today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on another narco-trafficking vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) in the Caribbean.

This vessel—like EVERY OTHER—was known by our intelligence to be… pic.twitter.com/W7xqeMpSUi

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) November 2, 2025

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said the operations violate international law and called for them to stop.

In a statement on Friday, Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk described the attacks and their rising death toll as “unacceptable” and urged Washington to end what he called extrajudicial killings at sea.

Members of the U.S. Congress have also raised concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the strikes. Democratic lawmakers said a recent closed-door briefing provided few details and that Pentagon lawyers were removed from the session shortly before it began.

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner criticised the administration for holding a classified meeting without informing Democrats, calling it “a partisan stunt.”

At the same time, Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker and Ranking Member Jack Reed said they had sent several letters to the Pentagon seeking information about the operations but had not received replies.

Per reports, the Trump administration has issued a classified legal opinion allowing the use of lethal force against various drug cartels and suspected traffickers, claiming they pose an immediate threat to Americans.

Reference: CNN