U.S. Military Boasts 25 Boat Strikes Near Venezuela, Defense Secretary Defends Deadly Campaign
The U.S. military has carried out multiple lethal strikes on boats near Venezuela in an operation Washington says targets drug-trafficking networks, raising international and legal scrutiny. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has publicly defended the use of force, but critics say the campaign’s legality and motives are deeply contested.
Tension has grown as the United States conducts what it calls Operation Southern Spear, a series of air and maritime strikes on small vessels the administration claims were engaged in drug trafficking and operated by groups it designates as “narco-terrorists.” According to U.S. military statements, at least 95 people have been killed in these attacks since September.
The Pentagon and White House maintain the strikes are lawful acts targeting trafficking operations in international waters and defend them as part of efforts to curb deadly narcotics entering the United States.
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However, leading human rights organizations describe the strikes as extrajudicial killings that violate international human rights law because there is no armed conflict with Venezuela or the alleged smugglers, and non-lethal alternatives were not attempted.
“We will find you and we will sink you,” Hegseth said in defense of the policy, framing it as necessary to protect Americans.
Why this matters…
The strikes risk escalating tensions with Venezuela and neighboring nations, prompt legal challenges over use of military force without explicit congressional authorization, and fuel debates over whether these operations fit within traditional drug interdiction or constitute broader armed action. Next week, key Defense and State Department officials are scheduled to testify before Congress about the campaign’s scope and legal basis.
The situation continues to evolve as both U.S. policy and international response develop.
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