Three killed in US missile strike in Caribbean Sea

At least three people were killed in a US military missile strike targeting a vessel in the Caribbean Sea, according to the US Southern Command.

The strike, carried out Friday on the orders of President Donald Trump, targeted suspected “narco-terrorists,” the command said.

US authorities released video footage showing a missile hitting the vessel, which was destroyed in the explosion.

Southern Command claimed those killed were involved in drug trafficking but did not provide specific evidence to support the allegation.

The operation is part of a broader military campaign that began in September 2025. Since then, at least 133 people have been killed, with 38 strikes conducted against nearly 40 vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean regions, according to available data.

Human rights groups and international law experts have criticized the strikes as potential extrajudicial killings, arguing that carrying out lethal attacks at sea without due process may violate international law.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the “kinetic strikes” have forced drug traffickers to scale back operations. Critics, however, warn that such operations risk harming innocent fishermen and civilians.

President Trump has described the campaign as an “armed war against drug traffickers” and vowed to continue the military operations.