Hegseth authorizes new strike resulting in deaths of 4 on suspected drug boat amidst 'double tap' controversy

On Thursday, Pete Hegseth instructed U.S. military forces to launch an operation against a suspected drug-smuggling vessel, resulting in the deaths of four individuals. The action occurs amid ongoing scrutiny over the Trump administrations so-called double tap strike tactics in the Caribbean.

According to U.S. Southern Command, which supervises these operations, On December 4, under Pete Hegseths orders, Joint Task Force Southern Spear executed a lethal strike on a vessel in international waters linked to a Designated Terrorist Organization.

The command confirmed that intelligence indicated the boat was transporting illegal narcotics along a well-known trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific. The four men on board, identified as narco-terrorists, were killed during the strike.

Further updates on this developing story are expected.

Author: Ava Mitchell