Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that U.S. forces killed two people in a strike on a suspected narcotics boat in the eastern Pacific. The latest strike comes as President Donald Trump weighs military action against Venezuela, which he accuses of sending drugs to the U.S.
In a social media post that included an unclassified video, Hegseth said that “intelligence confirmed” the vessel was moving drugs and that “two male narco-terrorists” were killed in international waters. CBS News reports the military officials carried out the operation at Trump’s direction.
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Hegseth released no evidence to support the claim that the boat was carrying narcotics.
The latest attack was the 16th announced strike since early September. It brings the death toll to at least 67 people in the Caribbean and Pacific, The New York Times reports.
The legality of the offensive is in dispute. The administration argues the killings are lawful because Trump says the U.S. is in an armed conflict with drug cartels. However, The Times notes that a wide range of use-of-force specialists have denounced the killings as illegal. They argue the military may not intentionally target civilians who pose no imminent threat.
Internal debate
The Times reported Tuesday that the Trump administration is engaged in an internal debate over potential military action in Venezuela.
While aides say Trump has voiced reservations about a potential failure and has focused on extracting value from Venezuela’s oil sector, other officials are pushing for more aggressive options. They include Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy.
In an interview that aired Sunday, Trump told CBS News’ “60 Minutes” he doubted the U.S. was “going to war against Venezuela.” But he agreed that Nicolás Maduro’s “days as president” were numbered.
Congressional scrutiny
The strikes have drawn criticism from lawmakers in both parties, who argue the president needs congressional approval. CBS News reports that some lawmakers also say the White House has not provided sufficient evidence that the targeted boats were smuggling drugs.
Amid the concerns, the White House announced that Rubio will brief the bipartisan “Gang of 12” congressional leaders on Wednesday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said this will be the ninth such briefing on the topic.
White House justification
The White House has formally described the strikes as part of an effort to “cripple the operations of drug cartels.” Trump was more blunt on Oct. 23.
“I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war,” the president said. “I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. OK? We’re going to kill them.”
Broader Venezuela posture
The boat strikes are part of a wider military buildup focused on Venezuela. Several strikes have already occurred off the nation’s coast, and the Pentagon is moving the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group toward the Caribbean. Separately, The Times reports the administration is developing options for military action inside Venezuela, which could include strikes on units protecting Maduro or on oil infrastructure. According to the report, Justice Department lawyers are drafting new legal guidance for such an operation.
