By — Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/all-the-u-s-military-strikes-against-alleged-drug-boats Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter All the U.S. military strikes against alleged drug boats World Oct 31, 2025 4:23 PM EDT The U.S. military has killed dozens of people in targeted strikes on small vessels in waters off South America since early September. President Donald Trump says the deadly attacks are combating drug smuggling. But the unilateral strikes have prompted questions from lawmakers, including Republicans, about his legal authority to use lethal force and what supporting evidence the Pentagon has that the people on these boats are connected to drug trafficking or narcoterrorism. To date, the Trump administration has acknowledged at least 14 strikes against boats suspected of transporting narcotics, killing more than 60 people. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. The U.S. began to build up its military presence in the Caribbean Sea, especially off Venezuela, this summer, saying it was needed to counter the drug trade. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have cited intelligence that they claim proves the boats were involved in narcoterrorism or transporting narcotics to the U.S. They’ve at times said that the people on board were affiliated with specific criminal organizations. They have not publicly offered evidence to support their claims. Republican lawmakers received a military briefing on the operation this week, but Democrats were excluded. READ MORE: UN human rights chief says U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats ‘unacceptable’ Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was indicted on federal narcoterrorism charges during Trump’s first term, has accused Trump of seeking a regime change and batted down Trump’s claims that he plays a major role in trafficking drugs to the U.S. Maduro, an authoritarian leader who is not recognized by the U.S. and other countries as the legitimate president of Venezuela, also vowed a “republic in arms” if U.S. forces directly engage. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called the strikes “an act of tyranny,” asking in late September why the Trump administration would “launch a missile if you could simply stop the boat and arrest the crew?” “That’s what one would call murder,” Petro added. Here’s a look at each strike carried out so far by the U.S. military. Sept. 2 Watch the clip in the player above. How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: Vessel departed from Venezuela How many killed: 11 What did the U.S. say? Trump justified the U.S. military’s first attack by calling the vessel a “drug-carrying boat” operated by Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang turned multinational crime group that has been designated by the administration as a foreign terrorist organization. The president said “a lot of drugs” were on board. Why is it significant? The goal of the strike, U.S. Trump and his Cabinet officials said, is to combat drugs flowing into the U.S. Experts told PBS News that fighting the drug trade would typically be the purview of law enforcement, not the military. Maduro called the first strike a “heinous crime.” The Venezuelan leader also said if the U.S. believed the boat’s passengers to be traffickers, they should have taken them into custody. Sept. 15 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: From Venezuela How many killed: 3 What did the U.S. say? Trump posted a video of a boat engulfed by black smoke on social media. He said he had ordered a strike on the boat, which was “transporting illegal narcotics.” Trump later told reporters “we have proof” that the boat was carrying drugs, though he didn’t provide specifics. Why is it significant? With the first strike no longer an isolated incident, the second attack raised more questions about the Trump administration’s legal justifications for the killings. Vice President JD Vance posted on X that “Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military.” Republican Sen. Rand Paul criticized Vance’s comment as “a despicable and thoughtless sentiment” for glorifying “killing someone without a trial.” The strike killed a Colombian man named Alejandro Carranza. Both his family and Petro said Carranza was a fisherman who did not have ties to drug trafficking. “The United States has invaded our national territory, fired a missile to kill a humble fisherman, and destroyed his family, his children,” Petro wrote on social media, according to the AP, adding that he requested that his nation’s justice system initiate international legal proceedings. Sept. 19 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: In the Caribbean Sea How many killed: 3 What did the U.S. say? Trump announced a third strike, saying the target was “trafficking illicit narcotics.” His social media post said that “intelligence confirmed” the targeted vessel was affiliated with a “Designated Terrorist Organization,” though he didn’t provide evidence of whether or how the boat was linked to drug cartels. Hegseth posted a video that purported to show the strike. Oct. 3 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: In waters off Venezuela How many killed: 4 What did the U.S. say? Hegseth announced that the U.S. had carried out a fourth boat strike. Without providing more specifics, Hegseth said U.S. intelligence “without a doubt” confirmed the boat was trafficking narcotics and the people onboard were “narco-terrorists.” Why is it significant? A day before this strike, the Associated Press obtained a Trump memo to Congress that declared the U.S. was now in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels and that suspects involved in these operations were considered “unlawful combatants.” Days after the strike, Petro said the boat was from Colombia and had Colombian citizens aboard. The White House denied this allegation, calling Petro’s claim “baseless.” Oct. 14 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: Off the Venezuelan coast How many killed: 6 What did the U.S. say? Trump announced the fifth strike against a boat he said was affiliated with a “Designated Terrorist Organization,” but didn’t specify which group, nor the nationality of the people aboard. Why is it significant? Later in the week, Trump confirmed that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela and raised the prospect of striking the country on land, raising the temperature in the conflict. Oct. 16 How many vessels attacked? 1 Location or origin: Caribbean Sea How many killed: 2, plus 2 survivors What did the U.S. say? A semisubmersible craft suspected of trafficking narcotics became the sixth vessel attacked. Trump said on Truth Social that two people were killed, and the two people who survived “are being returned to their Countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia, for detention and prosecution.” Why is it significant? For the first time in this series of U.S. strikes, there were known survivors. The U.S. decided to have them repatriated instead of putting them in military detention. Colombian officials said they would open an investigation into the activities of their survivor’s activities, who suffered injuries. However, the Colombian justice system has limited ability to prosecute him, an official told El País, because there is no evidence of a crime. Ecuador released its survivor, saying there was “no report of a crime.” On the same day as the strike, U.S. Adm. Alvin Holsey announced his surprise retirement as lead of the U.S. Southern Command. Oct. 17 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: The defense secretary said the boat was in the U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility, which includes the Caribbean Sea. How many killed: 3 What did the U.S. say? Hegeth said the U.S. attacked a vessel that was suspected of “transporting substantial amounts of narcotics.” This time, the Trump administration said its target was affiliated with the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional), a Colombian rebel group that was designated by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997. Why is it significant? In a social media post hours before Hegseth announced the strike, Trump escalated his criticism of Colombia’s Petro, saying he did nothing to stop drug production and calling him an “illegal drug leader.” After the strike was announced, Petro urged Latin America and the Caribbean to unite and reject any outside aggression. “Venezuela belongs to the Venezuelans. This is not a defense of Maduro; it is the defense of Latin American sovereignty,” he wrote in a post on X. Oct. 21 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: eastern Pacific Ocean How many killed: 2 What did the U.S. say? In announcing this strike against a suspected drug-carrying boat, Hegseth referred to the two people killed as “narco-terrorists” and made a comparison to the 9/11 attacks. “Just as Al Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people. There will be no refuge or forgiveness—only justice,” he said. Why is it significant? The strike marked the first time the U.S. military campaign extended beyond the Caribbean. The U.S. executed the strike despite a warning from the UN Humans Rights Council a day before. Oct. 22 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: eastern Pacific Ocean How many killed: 3 What did the U.S. say? Hegseth announced a ninth strike, again in the Pacific Ocean. At the end of a 26-second video he posted on social media, white packages are seen floating in the water. Hegseth said that the strikes “will continue, day after day.” Oct. 24 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: Caribbean Sea How many killed: 6 What did the U.S. say? Hegseth announced an overnight attack, saying the targeted boat was operated by Tren de Aragua. Citing intelligence, but not providing more details, he said the vessel was “involved in illicit narcotics smuggling.” Why is it significant? Hegseth noted the strike was the first one to happen at night. In a televised address to his nation, Maduro accused Trump of “fabricating a new eternal war,” the Associated Press reported, as the USS Gerald R. Ford, a large American aircraft carrier and one of the world’s biggest, moved closer to Venezuela. Oct. 27 How many boats attacked? 4 Location or origin: eastern Pacific Ocean How many killed: 14, plus 1 survivor What did the U.S. say? The U.S. military carried out three strikes against four vessels suspected of transporting drugs. Hegseth posted a 28-second video that in part shows two vessels, side by side, exploding in the water. He also said Mexican authorities assumed responsibility for coordinating the search and rescue of the sole survivor. Why is it significant? The multiple strikes on Oct. 27 marked one of the biggest escalations and heaviest single strike death tolls to date. It was also the first time Mexico had been drawn into the U.S. military campaign. Oct. 29 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: eastern Pacific Ocean How many killed: 4 What did the U.S. say? Yet again citing “intelligence,” Hegseth said the vessel was “involved in illicit narcotics smuggling” and traveling along a “known narco-trafficking route.” “The Western Hemisphere is no longer a safe haven for narco-terrorists bringing drugs to our shores to poison Americans,” he added in his social media post. This story will be updated as additional strikes occur. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas is a senior editor for the PBS NewsHour's Communities Initiative. He's also the senior editor and manager of newsletters. @Josh_Barrage
The U.S. military has killed dozens of people in targeted strikes on small vessels in waters off South America since early September. President Donald Trump says the deadly attacks are combating drug smuggling. But the unilateral strikes have prompted questions from lawmakers, including Republicans, about his legal authority to use lethal force and what supporting evidence the Pentagon has that the people on these boats are connected to drug trafficking or narcoterrorism. To date, the Trump administration has acknowledged at least 14 strikes against boats suspected of transporting narcotics, killing more than 60 people. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. The U.S. began to build up its military presence in the Caribbean Sea, especially off Venezuela, this summer, saying it was needed to counter the drug trade. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have cited intelligence that they claim proves the boats were involved in narcoterrorism or transporting narcotics to the U.S. They’ve at times said that the people on board were affiliated with specific criminal organizations. They have not publicly offered evidence to support their claims. Republican lawmakers received a military briefing on the operation this week, but Democrats were excluded. READ MORE: UN human rights chief says U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats ‘unacceptable’ Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was indicted on federal narcoterrorism charges during Trump’s first term, has accused Trump of seeking a regime change and batted down Trump’s claims that he plays a major role in trafficking drugs to the U.S. Maduro, an authoritarian leader who is not recognized by the U.S. and other countries as the legitimate president of Venezuela, also vowed a “republic in arms” if U.S. forces directly engage. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called the strikes “an act of tyranny,” asking in late September why the Trump administration would “launch a missile if you could simply stop the boat and arrest the crew?” “That’s what one would call murder,” Petro added. Here’s a look at each strike carried out so far by the U.S. military. Sept. 2 Watch the clip in the player above. How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: Vessel departed from Venezuela How many killed: 11 What did the U.S. say? Trump justified the U.S. military’s first attack by calling the vessel a “drug-carrying boat” operated by Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang turned multinational crime group that has been designated by the administration as a foreign terrorist organization. The president said “a lot of drugs” were on board. Why is it significant? The goal of the strike, U.S. Trump and his Cabinet officials said, is to combat drugs flowing into the U.S. Experts told PBS News that fighting the drug trade would typically be the purview of law enforcement, not the military. Maduro called the first strike a “heinous crime.” The Venezuelan leader also said if the U.S. believed the boat’s passengers to be traffickers, they should have taken them into custody. Sept. 15 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: From Venezuela How many killed: 3 What did the U.S. say? Trump posted a video of a boat engulfed by black smoke on social media. He said he had ordered a strike on the boat, which was “transporting illegal narcotics.” Trump later told reporters “we have proof” that the boat was carrying drugs, though he didn’t provide specifics. Why is it significant? With the first strike no longer an isolated incident, the second attack raised more questions about the Trump administration’s legal justifications for the killings. Vice President JD Vance posted on X that “Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military.” Republican Sen. Rand Paul criticized Vance’s comment as “a despicable and thoughtless sentiment” for glorifying “killing someone without a trial.” The strike killed a Colombian man named Alejandro Carranza. Both his family and Petro said Carranza was a fisherman who did not have ties to drug trafficking. “The United States has invaded our national territory, fired a missile to kill a humble fisherman, and destroyed his family, his children,” Petro wrote on social media, according to the AP, adding that he requested that his nation’s justice system initiate international legal proceedings. Sept. 19 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: In the Caribbean Sea How many killed: 3 What did the U.S. say? Trump announced a third strike, saying the target was “trafficking illicit narcotics.” His social media post said that “intelligence confirmed” the targeted vessel was affiliated with a “Designated Terrorist Organization,” though he didn’t provide evidence of whether or how the boat was linked to drug cartels. Hegseth posted a video that purported to show the strike. Oct. 3 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: In waters off Venezuela How many killed: 4 What did the U.S. say? Hegseth announced that the U.S. had carried out a fourth boat strike. Without providing more specifics, Hegseth said U.S. intelligence “without a doubt” confirmed the boat was trafficking narcotics and the people onboard were “narco-terrorists.” Why is it significant? A day before this strike, the Associated Press obtained a Trump memo to Congress that declared the U.S. was now in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels and that suspects involved in these operations were considered “unlawful combatants.” Days after the strike, Petro said the boat was from Colombia and had Colombian citizens aboard. The White House denied this allegation, calling Petro’s claim “baseless.” Oct. 14 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: Off the Venezuelan coast How many killed: 6 What did the U.S. say? Trump announced the fifth strike against a boat he said was affiliated with a “Designated Terrorist Organization,” but didn’t specify which group, nor the nationality of the people aboard. Why is it significant? Later in the week, Trump confirmed that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela and raised the prospect of striking the country on land, raising the temperature in the conflict. Oct. 16 How many vessels attacked? 1 Location or origin: Caribbean Sea How many killed: 2, plus 2 survivors What did the U.S. say? A semisubmersible craft suspected of trafficking narcotics became the sixth vessel attacked. Trump said on Truth Social that two people were killed, and the two people who survived “are being returned to their Countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia, for detention and prosecution.” Why is it significant? For the first time in this series of U.S. strikes, there were known survivors. The U.S. decided to have them repatriated instead of putting them in military detention. Colombian officials said they would open an investigation into the activities of their survivor’s activities, who suffered injuries. However, the Colombian justice system has limited ability to prosecute him, an official told El País, because there is no evidence of a crime. Ecuador released its survivor, saying there was “no report of a crime.” On the same day as the strike, U.S. Adm. Alvin Holsey announced his surprise retirement as lead of the U.S. Southern Command. Oct. 17 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: The defense secretary said the boat was in the U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility, which includes the Caribbean Sea. How many killed: 3 What did the U.S. say? Hegeth said the U.S. attacked a vessel that was suspected of “transporting substantial amounts of narcotics.” This time, the Trump administration said its target was affiliated with the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional), a Colombian rebel group that was designated by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997. Why is it significant? In a social media post hours before Hegseth announced the strike, Trump escalated his criticism of Colombia’s Petro, saying he did nothing to stop drug production and calling him an “illegal drug leader.” After the strike was announced, Petro urged Latin America and the Caribbean to unite and reject any outside aggression. “Venezuela belongs to the Venezuelans. This is not a defense of Maduro; it is the defense of Latin American sovereignty,” he wrote in a post on X. Oct. 21 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: eastern Pacific Ocean How many killed: 2 What did the U.S. say? In announcing this strike against a suspected drug-carrying boat, Hegseth referred to the two people killed as “narco-terrorists” and made a comparison to the 9/11 attacks. “Just as Al Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people. There will be no refuge or forgiveness—only justice,” he said. Why is it significant? The strike marked the first time the U.S. military campaign extended beyond the Caribbean. The U.S. executed the strike despite a warning from the UN Humans Rights Council a day before. Oct. 22 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: eastern Pacific Ocean How many killed: 3 What did the U.S. say? Hegseth announced a ninth strike, again in the Pacific Ocean. At the end of a 26-second video he posted on social media, white packages are seen floating in the water. Hegseth said that the strikes “will continue, day after day.” Oct. 24 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: Caribbean Sea How many killed: 6 What did the U.S. say? Hegseth announced an overnight attack, saying the targeted boat was operated by Tren de Aragua. Citing intelligence, but not providing more details, he said the vessel was “involved in illicit narcotics smuggling.” Why is it significant? Hegseth noted the strike was the first one to happen at night. In a televised address to his nation, Maduro accused Trump of “fabricating a new eternal war,” the Associated Press reported, as the USS Gerald R. Ford, a large American aircraft carrier and one of the world’s biggest, moved closer to Venezuela. Oct. 27 How many boats attacked? 4 Location or origin: eastern Pacific Ocean How many killed: 14, plus 1 survivor What did the U.S. say? The U.S. military carried out three strikes against four vessels suspected of transporting drugs. Hegseth posted a 28-second video that in part shows two vessels, side by side, exploding in the water. He also said Mexican authorities assumed responsibility for coordinating the search and rescue of the sole survivor. Why is it significant? The multiple strikes on Oct. 27 marked one of the biggest escalations and heaviest single strike death tolls to date. It was also the first time Mexico had been drawn into the U.S. military campaign. Oct. 29 How many boats attacked? 1 Location or origin: eastern Pacific Ocean How many killed: 4 What did the U.S. say? Yet again citing “intelligence,” Hegseth said the vessel was “involved in illicit narcotics smuggling” and traveling along a “known narco-trafficking route.” “The Western Hemisphere is no longer a safe haven for narco-terrorists bringing drugs to our shores to poison Americans,” he added in his social media post. This story will be updated as additional strikes occur. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now