KVSP US strikes another alleged drug vessel in Caribbean Sea
Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on October 24, 2025
(WASHINGTON) — The United States has carried out another strike against an alleged drug vessel, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Friday.
“Overnight, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO), trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean Sea,” Hegseth wrote on X, where he posted a video of the attack.
It marks the 10th strike in international waters around Latin America since early September. Eight of the attacks have occurred in the Caribbean Sea and two took place in the Pacific Ocean.
Hegseth said six people were killed in the overnight attack.
At least 43 people are believed to have been killed in the U.S. strikes so far.
“If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda. Day or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you,” Hegseth wrote on X.
The overnight strike came after two U.S. Air Force B-1 bombers flew what was described as a training mission over the Caribbean Sea on Thursday, sources familiar with the operation told ABC News.
The strikes are part of what the administration has called its “war” against drug cartels. But the lethal force has raised several legal questions, as past administrations have relied on law enforcement to interdict drug shipments.
“We’re finally treating the cartels as the core national security threat that they really are. The cartels are waging war on America,” Trump said at a White House event on Thursday where he was joined by Hegseth and other officials to discuss the administration actions against cartels.
The president was asked if he would seek a traditional declaration of war from Congress as they ramp up their campaign against drug cartels and traffickers.
“I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war,” Trump said. “I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. Okay? We’re going to kill them. You know? They’re going to be, like, dead. Okay.”
Trump again hinted at the possibility of land attacks to target drug cartels, saying on Thursday “the land is going to be next.” He previously said he was “looking into” possible land strikes against Venezuela.
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