The US military conducted a strike against a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in international waters near Venezuela’s coast in the Caribbean Sea, marking the sixth such operation since early September. Unlike previous strikes, which resulted in at least 27 fatalities with no survivors, this attack left some crew members alive, a US official told Reuters anonymously. The Pentagon, labelling the targets as "narcoterrorists" tied to Venezuelan groups, has not disclosed details about the survivors, including whether they received aid or were taken into custody. This development raises questions about the operation’s execution and adherence to international protocols, as the US escalates its counter-narcotics campaign in the region.

The Trump administration defends these strikes as part of an ongoing "war" against narcoterrorist groups, citing presidential powers under the 2001 Authorisation for Use of Military Force (AUMF). The operation coincides with a significant US military buildup in the Caribbean, including 10,000 troops, guided-missile destroyers, F-35 jets, and a nuclear submarine. On October 15, President Trump authorised CIA covert operations inside Venezuela, intensifying speculation of a broader campaign to destabilise President Nicolás Maduro’s government. Venezuela’s UN Ambassador, Samuel Moncada, has urged the UN Security Council to declare the strikes illegal, accusing the US of violating national sovereignty.

The strikes have sparked domestic and international controversy. Democratic lawmakers, including Senator Jack Reed, criticise the operations as potential violations of war laws, arguing that applying the AUMF to drug cartels oversteps congressional authority. Legal experts echo concerns, noting that treating smugglers as "unlawful combatants" blurs the line between law enforcement and warfare. Previous strikes, which destroyed vessels entirely, drew scrutiny for their lethality, with videos released by the administration showing no survivors. The presence of survivors in this latest strike could prompt further debate over the US military’s rules of engagement.

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Adding to the tensions, the Pentagon announced that the II Marine Expeditionary Force, based in North Carolina, will lead these operations, bypassing the Miami-based Southern Command. The abrupt resignation of Admiral Alvin Holsey, Southern Command’s leader, effective December 2025, has raised concerns about internal dissent over the campaign’s direction. As the US intensifies its efforts to curb fentanyl trafficking, linked to over 100,000 annual US overdose deaths, the Caribbean operations risk escalating into a broader confrontation with Venezuela.

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