Overview

• President Donald Trump said the U.S. military hit a vessel he described as linked to a designated terrorist organization in the U.S. Southern Command region.
• He reported three fatalities aboard the boat, labeling the dead as “narcoterrorists,” and said no U.S. personnel were injured.
• Official statements claimed intelligence confirmed the vessel was transporting illicit narcotics on a known trafficking route toward the United States.
• The action marks the third lethal operation this month, following a September 2 strike on a fast boat tied by Washington to Tren de Aragua that killed 11 and another strike reported on September 15.
• The administration frames the campaign as necessary to curb drug flows, while critics question the legal basis and the lack of publicly released evidence linking targets to terrorism or narcotrafficking.