US strike on drug-smuggling vessels kills 8

At least eight people were killed after the United States carried out strikes on three suspected drug-smuggling vessels in international waters of the eastern Pacific, according to the US Southern Command.

The US military said the “lethal kinetic strike,” ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was conducted on Monday. Three people were killed on the first vessel, two on the second and three on the third. While the victims were described as drug traffickers, no supporting evidence was made public.

The strikes came days after a Venezuelan oil tanker was seized, reports Reuters.

International law experts say similar US operations near Venezuela since September have killed at least 90 people and may constitute extrajudicial killings.

The Pentagon said the action was part of counter-narcotics efforts, citing increased deployment of US naval and air assets in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

Venezuela condemned the strikes, accusing Washington of pursuing its oil and gas interests. Trinidad and Tobago have allowed US aircraft to use its airports for logistical operations, prompting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to again threaten a halt to gas supplies.