As of 2025, military operations launched by the United States in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean form part of the Donald Trump administration’s comprehensive military strategy defined as the “fight against narcoterrorism.” These operations include aerial and naval strikes targeting vessels operating particularly off the coast of Venezuela and in South American waters.
As a result of these attacks in the Caribbean and the Pacific, between 2 September and 6 November 2025, 18 vessels were destroyed and a total of 70 people lost their lives.
Background of the Operations
Starting in August 2025, the Donald Trump administration expanded military operations against drug cartels originating in Latin America. On 8 August 2025, a presidential decree signed by Trump ordered the military to be more intensively deployed for direct confrontation with Latin American cartels.
Following this decision, on 2 October 2025, the U.S. government formally notified Congress that it was in a state of war against drug cartels listed as foreign terrorist organizations. The document transmitted by the Department of Defense (Pentagon) stated that the United States was engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” and that this situation was being treated under national security considerations.
During the same period, the Trump administration designated certain groups originating from Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, and Central America as “Foreign Terrorist Organizations” (FTOs). In February 2025, the Venezuela-based organization Tren de Aragua was added to this list. Additionally, on 25 July 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury classified the structure known as Cartel de los Soles as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” (SDGT) and asserted that its leadership was linked to Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro.
The U.S. Department of Justice also announced during this period that drug trafficking activities would now be classified as “terrorist acts.” As a result, units under the Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) were rapidly relocated to the Caribbean. In early September 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the U.S. military was prepared for “any military scenario, including regime change in Venezuela.”
In October 2025, through a presidential decree, military actions conducted in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean were officially designated as the commencement of the “war against narcoterrorism.” From that date onward, the U.S. military began targeting vessels suspected of carrying drugs in international waters.
Military Buildup and Deployments
Naval Forces
Beginning in late August 2025, the United States initiated a large-scale military deployment in the Caribbean Sea and off the coast of Venezuela. According to a report by The Associated Press citing Pentagon sources, by 22 October 2025, eight warships had been dispatched to the region. These included three destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, one cruiser, and one coastal combat vessel.
The vessels are capable of carrying long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, naval helicopters, and Harrier-type fighter aircraft. The Pentagon has confirmed that the fast-attack nuclear submarine USS Newport News is operating off the coast of South America.
On 5 November 2025, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford had departed the Mediterranean Sea and was en route to the Caribbean. On the same day, it was confirmed that the destroyer USS Bainbridge had passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the destroyers accompanying the Ford—USS Winston Churchill, USS Mahan, USS Forrest Sherman, and USS Mitchener—had been stationed in the Mediterranean and Red Sea in October 2025, while others were redirected to the Caribbean.
According to Pentagon data, by mid-October 2025, more than 6,000 U.S. military personnel had been deployed in the region. This represents the largest increase in U.S. military presence in Latin American waters in the past decade.
Air Assets
In addition to naval forces, the United States has deployed a fleet of F-35B Lightning II fighter jets to the Caribbean region. According to Pentagon statements, these aircraft were stationed at an air base in Puerto Rico in mid-September 2025. Subsequently, MQ-9 Reaper armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were also sent to the same base.
Other temporary air assets have been active in the operational area, including reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft, maritime patrol platforms, and attack aircraft used in night operations. The Pentagon has not disclosed specific numbers of these air assets.
Ground and Marine Forces
As part of the military buildup, the United States deployed marine and amphibious units to the region as of September 2025. Some of these units were stationed aboard the USS Iwo Jima and USS Bainbridge, with MV-22 Osprey aircraft and attack helicopters assigned for air transport.
In a statement on 16 September 2025, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated that these units were capable of conducting operations on Venezuelan territory if deemed necessary.
Attacks in the Caribbean and the Pacific
First Attacks and Commencement of Operations
The first military attack by the United States under the pretext of combating drug trafficking occurred on 2 September 2025 in the Caribbean Sea. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his social media account Truth Social that he personally ordered the strike and that the targeted vessel belonged to the Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua organization. Eleven people were killed in the attack and the vessel was completely destroyed.
Trump described the attack as a “kinetic operation against narcoterrorists.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed this characterization and stated that the operation was conducted within the area of responsibility of the Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
Thirteen days after the first attack, on 15 September 2025, the U.S. military carried out a second strike. This time the target was a boat allegedly departing Venezuela and carrying drugs in international waters. Trump announced that three people had been killed and that U.S. forces suffered no casualties. He declared the operation with the statement: “If you carry drugs that could kill Americans, we will hunt you.”
The third attack occurred on 19 September 2025. Trump stated that it targeted a vessel belonging to a group designated as “narcoterrorists.” The Department of Defense confirmed that the vessel was operating along a known drug trafficking route. Three people died in the attack.
Expansion of Attacks
On 3 October 2025, the U.S. military conducted its fourth attack off the coast of Venezuela. According to Pete Hegseth’s statement, the strike occurred in international waters and resulted in four deaths.
On 14 October 2025, the fifth attack took place, with the targeted vessel struck near Venezuela’s coastline. The Department of Defense stated that the vessel belonged to a “designated terrorist organization,” but did not disclose the group’s name or provide evidence. Six people were killed in this attack.
The sixth attack, conducted on 16 October 2025, occurred in the Caribbean as in the first strike. Two crew members survived the attack on the targeted vessel, while the rest were killed. One survivor was an Ecuadorian citizen and the other a Colombian citizen. Both individuals were briefly detained and subsequently repatriated to their home countries.
The seventh attack, carried out on 17 October 2025, targeted a vessel allegedly linked to a Colombian organization. Defense Secretary Hegseth stated that the vessel was carrying “a significant quantity of drugs” and confirmed three deaths. This incident prompted Colombian President Gustavo Petro to accuse the United States of “murdering innocent civilians,” leading to diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
On 21 and 22 October 2025, U.S. naval operations expanded from the Caribbean to the Pacific Ocean. Two separate attacks occurred in the Pacific on these dates, resulting in two and three deaths respectively. These were the first lethal operations conducted by the United States in Pacific waters outside the Caribbean.
On 24 October 2025, a nighttime attack was carried out in the Caribbean Sea against a vessel alleged to belong to the Tren de Aragua organization. Defense Secretary Hegseth stated that the operation was conducted under President Trump’s orders and that six people on board were killed.
On 27 October 2025, the United States conducted multiple attacks on the same day for the first time. Four separate vessels were destroyed by three missiles. The Department of Defense reported that 14 people were killed and one person went missing. It was announced that the Mexican Navy was searching for the missing individual but had not located them.
On 29 October 2025, an attack in the Pacific Ocean resulted in four deaths. This operation marked the 15th attack conducted by the U.S. military by the end of October.
On 1 November 2025, a vessel in the Caribbean was struck and three people were killed. Defense Secretary Hegseth stated that the attack was carried out “against terrorist-linked narcotrafficking activities.”
The final attack occurred on 4 November 2025 in the eastern Pacific. The Department of Defense stated that the vessel was targeted on suspicion of drug trafficking, resulting in two deaths, with no casualties among U.S. forces.
On 6 November 2025, the U.S. military conducted an aerial strike against a vessel in the Caribbean Sea. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the operation was carried out in international waters and that the targeted vessel was carrying drugs. Three people lost their lives in the operation. This attack marked the 17th operation of the U.S. “fight against narcoterrorism.”
Together, these attacks resulted in 70 deaths across 17 operations conducted between 2 September and 6 November 2025.
Legal Controversies and Reactions
Legal Proceedings Within the United States
The attacks conducted by the Trump administration in the Caribbean and the Pacific between 2 September and 6 November 2025 triggered legal and constitutional debates within the United States. On 5 November 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the number of attacks had reached 16 and that at least 66 people had been killed.
Members of both the Republican and Democratic parties in Congress criticized the operations for being carried out without congressional authorization. Some members emphasized that under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, the President requires congressional approval for military engagements lasting more than 60 days. In particular, members of the Senate Armed Services Committee demanded that Defense Secretary Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarify the legal basis for the operations.
The Trump administration defended the legality of the attacks conducted without congressional approval. In a 24 October 2025 interview with CBS News, Trump stated, “This is not a war, but they treated us very badly. Maduro’s days are numbered.” When asked whether the United States would launch a land assault on Venezuela, he replied, “I am not thinking about it.”
Some U.S. legal scholars and human rights organizations have questioned the legitimacy of the attacks. Organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) have called for investigations, asserting that the executive branch is carrying out these actions “outside judicial oversight.”
International Law and Human Rights Reactions
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, in a statement on 31 October 2025, stated that the U.S. attacks in the Caribbean and the Pacific “lack any legitimate basis under international law.” Türk noted that reports confirmed “more than 60 people killed in international waters,” and that these actions constituted “a clear violation of international human rights law.”
UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights Ben Saul, during a press conference in New York on 24 October 2025, characterized the operations as “unlawful killings under international law.” Saul stated, “Under international law, there is no authority to use military force to kill suspected drug traffickers in open seas.”
UN officials called on Washington in late October 2025 to halt the operations and initiate an investigation. In a second statement on 1 November 2025, Volker Türk declared, “These attacks and the rising human losses are unacceptable.”
Leaders in Latin America also reacted to the U.S. actions. Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in a statement on 17 October 2025, labeled the attacks as “murder” and accused the United States of attempting to “subjugate Latin America.” Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accused the United States of “fabricating a war” and stated that “these actions in international waters constitute a threat to Venezuela’s sovereignty.” Despite these statements, the U.S. administration did not halt the operations and continued aerial and naval strikes until 6 November 2025.
Regional and Diplomatic Implications
Venezuela
The operations launched by the United States in the Caribbean and the Pacific have directly triggered a diplomatic crisis with the Venezuelan government. On 23 October 2025, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro described the growing U.S. military activity in the Caribbean as a “direct threat.”
In his statement, Maduro announced that Russian-made Igla-S short-range surface-to-air missiles had been deployed to Venezuela’s strategic air defense zones in preparation for a possible U.S. military strike. He added, “Venezuela possesses more than 5,000 Igla-S missiles, which have been positioned across its most remote mountains, towns, and cities.”
The Maduro administration responded to the attacks by mobilizing its 4.5 million-member militia force and declaring it “ready to repel any foreign aggression.” The Venezuelan government asserted that U.S. strikes against vessels off its coast violated international law and constituted “an open intervention in its sovereignty.”
Colombia
Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on 17 October 2025 that Colombian citizens had been killed in U.S. attacks in the Caribbean. Petro labeled these actions as “murder” and accused the United States of attempting to “force Latin America into submission.” Shortly after this statement, the U.S. administration imposed sanctions on Petro and his close associates on 18 October 2025. Simultaneously, the United States revoked Colombia’s status as a “partner in the war against drugs.”
In response to this escalation, U.S. President Trump announced on 19 October 2025 that all aid to Colombia would be canceled.
Trinidad and Tobago
On 20 October 2025, a U.S. destroyer docked at a port in Trinidad and Tobago. U.S. officials stated the vessel was present for “joint exercises.” However, on the same day, the Venezuelan government announced it was suspending energy cooperation agreements with Trinidad and Tobago.
The Trinidad and Tobago government stated that the U.S. vessel had participated in a “joint maritime security exercise.” However, the Caracas administration described the visit as “part of the U.S. encirclement strategy in the region.”
Mexico and Ecuador
In one of the attacks on 27 October 2025, in which the U.S. military targeted four vessels in the Pacific on the same day, one survivor disappeared in Mexican waters. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later confirmed that the U.S. government had requested search assistance from the Mexican government. The Mexican Navy reported on 30 October 2025 that the missing individual had not been found.
Of the two survivors in this series of attacks, one was Ecuadorian citizen Andrés Fernando Tufiño Chila and the other was Colombian Jeison Obando Pérez. Both were repatriated to their home countries between 18 and 20 October 2025. On 20 October 2025, Ecuador’s Attorney General’s Office stated in a public statement that Tufiño Chila had no criminal record in Ecuador.
International Diplomatic Reactions
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in its statement on 31 October 2025, called on the United States to “immediately halt its lethal operations in international waters.” On the same day, the European Union’s External Action Service (EEAS) expressed concern in a statement that “U.S. military actions in the Caribbean pose a threat to regional stability.”
As regional reactions in Latin America continued into early November 2025, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed on 5 November 2025 that a new aircraft carrier group had been dispatched to the Caribbean.
