New US Strike on Alleged Drug Boat Kills Four in the Caribbean, Reports Say

US forces have carried out another strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean, bringing the death toll in the ongoing anti-narcotics campaign to 80, according to US media reports on Thursday.

Washington began these strikes, which critics argue amount to extrajudicial killings—even if they target known traffickers—early in September, focusing on vessels operating in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

This latest reported strike raises the total number of deaths to 80 across 20 separate attacks in international waters.

The timing of the strike remains unclear. CBS reported that the boat was destroyed on Monday, while the New York Times cited an unnamed Pentagon official claiming the strike took place on Wednesday.

The Pentagon has yet to respond to requests for comment.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, called on Washington this month to investigate the legality of these strikes. He stated that there was “strong evidence” suggesting the attacks could be classified as “extrajudicial” killings.

In defence, the US Department of Justice has argued that the strikes are in line with the law of armed conflict, and the government has indicated its intention to continue with the operations.

In a related development, a US aircraft carrier arrived off the coast of Latin America on Tuesday, marking a significant increase in Washington’s military presence in the region. This move has further heightened tensions with Venezuela, which announced a “massive” retaliatory military deployment.

On Thursday, Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth announced a new phase in the campaign to “remove narco-terrorists,” called “Operation Southern Spear.”

Details of what this new phase will entail, or how it differs from ongoing military actions, have not been disclosed.