The U.S. military's operation against alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea has come under scrutiny following the killing of 11 individuals on September 2. President Donald Trump and defense officials initially hailed the strike as a significant victory against South American drug cartels. However, the lack of detailed information raised questions about the operation's legality and the subsequent actions taken against survivors.

Trump announced the strike on his social media platform, describing it as a "kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility." He claimed the boat was controlled by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who denied the allegations and condemned the U.S. for the attack. Trump asserted that a "massive" quantity of drugs was aboard the vessel, stating, "It was massive amounts of drugs coming into our country to kill a lot of people. And, everybody fully understands that fact."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth supported the operation during a television interview, dismissing claims that the video of the strike was generated by artificial intelligence. He stated, "We knew exactly who was in that boat. We knew exactly what they were doing, and we knew exactly who they represented."

Following the initial strike, the administration reported conducting 20 additional strikes against boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, resulting in 83 fatalities. Hegseth emphasized that suspects would be treated as foreign terrorist organizations, stating, "We're going to defeat and destroy these terrorist organizations to defend the homeland on behalf of the American people."

Concerns arose after reports indicated that survivors from the initial strike were killed in a subsequent attack. The White House confirmed multiple strikes on the boat, and survivors were eventually returned to Colombia and Ecuador, preventing them from challenging their detention in U.S. courts. When asked about the treatment of survivors, Hegseth mentioned existing protocols but did not provide specifics.

Trump later stated he did not intend to seek congressional approval for military action against the cartels, declaring, "We're just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country." However, a November 28 report raised legal questions about the strikes, alleging that the first attack left two survivors clinging to wreckage. The report claimed that Adm. Mitch Bradley ordered a second strike to prevent the survivors from alerting other traffickers.

In response to the report, Hegseth asserted that the strikes were legal and defended the actions taken. Trump expressed confidence in Hegseth, stating he did not agree with a second strike. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Adm. Bradley ordered the second strike but did not provide further details.

Hegseth reiterated the administration's commitment to targeting drug boats, stating, "We've only just begun striking narco-boats and putting narcoterrorists at the bottom of the ocean because they've been poisoning the American people." He clarified his earlier comments about witnessing the attack live, explaining that he did not remain for the entire operation and later learned about the commander's decisions. Hegseth concluded, "Admiral Bradley made the correct decision to ultimately sink the boat and eliminate the threat." He acknowledged the challenges of assessing the situation during combat, referring to it as the "fog of war."