The United States military conducted its latest strike against an alleged drug vessel in the Caribbean Sea on Thursday. A Pentagon official confirmed that four “narco-terrorists” were killed in the operation which marks the 20th attack against an alleged drug vessel in international waters since President Donald Trump took office in January.
At least 80 people have been killed as part of the Trump administration’s anti-drug initiative in an effort to keep narcotics such as fentanyl from reaching American shores. Thursday afternoon, hours after the attack, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the launch of “Operation Southern Spear.” Hegseth said the strikes, which some human rights organizations argue are illegal, aim to “remove narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secure our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people.”
The latest strikes come days after the Navy confirmed that the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, arrived in the SOUTHCOM region, an area which includes the Caribbean Sea and waters north of South America. The Ford, which is equipped with long-range Tomahawk missiles, F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets, and 4,000 sailors, entered the SOUTHCOM region as tensions continue to rise between Trump and Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro.
In a recent interview with Norah O’Donnell on 60 Minutes, Trump was asked if Maduro’s “days are numbered.” Trump nodded. “I think so, yeah,” responded the president.
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