US official reports military targeted drug boat in Caribbean in 4 separate strikes in September attack.

The U.S. military targeted a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean four times on September 2, according to a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity. The strikes, part of a Trump administration effort against what officials describe as "narco-terrorists," resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals on board.

The operation involved two initial strikes aimed at neutralizing those on the vessel and two subsequent strikes to sink it, the official said. The incident has drawn heightened attention following reports suggesting a follow-up strike may have been intended to eliminate survivors from the initial attack. The Pentagon has not commented publicly.

The Washington Post first reported the total number of strikes, and the Trump administration confirmed that the military carried out two strikes against the ship. President Trump stated that the vessel was manned by individuals connected to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal network classified by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth acknowledged that he did not witness the second strike personally, citing other commitments. He later defended Adm. Frank Bradley, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, who authorized the follow-up strike to eliminate the vessel and the threat it posed.

Adm. Bradley made the right call to sink the boat and neutralize the threat, Hegseth said, emphasizing support for the Navy admirals decision.

While Trump and Hegseth appeared to distance themselves from the follow-up strikes, Bradley is scheduled to brief congressional leaders about the operation, marking the first U.S. military engagement against suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea.

Since early September, the U.S. military has conducted at least 21 operations against vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of a minimum of 83 individuals.

Hegseth also noted that the initial strike made it impossible to see any survivors due to fire and smoke on the vessel, describing the situation as part of the fog of war.

Author: Connor Blake