Snapshot from the video released by U.S. President Donald Trump, which allegedly shows the bombing of a drug trafficking vessel in the Caribbean. Photo: Rapid Response 47.
Guacamaya, September 3, 2025. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Fox News Wednesday that military operations against drug cartels in the Caribbean will continue, following an initial strike that is already raising questions about its usefulness and legality.
On Tuesday, U.S. armed forces bombed a small vessel in the Caribbean, declaring they had killed 11 people who were allegedly transporting drugs from Venezuela. There is no way to confirm the location or any of the details provided by the Trump administration, such as the boat’s contents or its origin.
The operation took place as part of the U.S. Navy’s deployment in the Caribbean Sea, which already includes at least eight ships, a Marine expeditionary unit, and a nuclear-powered submarine.
“We have [military] assets in the air, assets in the water, assets on ships, because this is a very serious mission for us, and it will not stop with just this one strike,” Hegseth said on Fox News.
Questions about the usefulness of the strike and its legality arose immediately. It would be more significant for its media impact than for damaging drug trafficking. Meanwhile, it could be considered a war crime for causing the deaths of civilians without reasons to claim self-defense, as several analysts have already indicated.
Juan González, former Senior Director of the National Security Council for the Western Hemisphere, commented that the attack creates a slippery slope. “Without checks, the U.S. risks killing fishermen, migrants, or other civilians… and we’d just have to take the Administration at its word.”
“The U.S. Coast Guard—not the Navy—is the right tool for counter-narcotics in the Caribbean. They are trained, equipped, and legally mandated for these missions,” the former senior official explained on his X account.
Venezuela’s Minister of Communication and Information, Freddy Ñañez, appeared on X for the first time in over a year to claim that the video published by the Trump administration was created with artificial intelligence. While this would be possible, this claim has not been verified.
