US military kills 4 in strike on suspected drug-trafficking vessel in Caribbean

Image credit: @Southcom/X The US military killed four people in a strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean Sea, the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said on Sunday. The operation is the latest in a series of attacks by Washington on vessels it claims are involved in narcotics trafficking, drawing criticism from human rights organisations and international experts over their legality.In a statement posted on X, SOUTHCOM said Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere conducted a "lethal, kinetic strike" on a high-speed vessel operating along established drug-trafficking routes in the Caribbean."Confirmed intelligence revealed the vessel's active involvement in narco-trafficking," the command said, describing those killed in the operation as "narco-terrorists."SOUTHCOM also released footage of the operation showing the vessel moving through the water before being struck and engulfed in an explosion. However, the command did not provide further details about the intelligence used to establish the vessel's alleged involvement in drug trafficking.The Trump administration has maintained that vessels targeted in such operations since September 2025 were transporting narcotics...