. Venezuelan and Colombian leaders have refuted the administration's grounds for the attacks and slammed Trump for his military action... ..... Timeline: US strikes on alleged drug boats - ABC News" Timeline: US strikes on alleged drug boatsSince September, President Donald Trump and Defen…Show more
Since September, President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have ordered controversial military strikes against boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
The Trump administration has alleged with little evidence that the boats were smuggling drugs from Venezuela and Colombia. The campaign so far has killed more than 80 alleged drug runners, according to officials
Venezuelan and Colombian leaders have refuted the administration’s grounds for the attacks and slammed Trump for his military action.Three men have been killed in a US strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said.
It is the latest in a series of attacks on vessels the Trump administration says are being used to smuggle drugs into the US.
Since they began in September, experts have questioned the legality of the strikes under international law, which have drawn strong criticism from Latin American leaders whose citizens have been targeted.
Combatting the flow of illegal drugs is a key policy for US President Donald Trump – but some have suggested the strikes are part of efforts to influence politically opposed governments in the region.
Hegseth said the boat targeted on Saturday was operated by a designated terrorist organisation – without specifying which one – and had been travelling in international waters when it was hit.
