The White House confirmed that US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized strikes against suspected drug smugglers, but left unclear who was specifically was responsible for a follow-up attack on survivors of the Caribbean military operation.
American officials initially defended the strike as an act of “self-defense,” claiming the targets were traffickers ferrying drugs to the US, though President Donald Trump previously said he would not have issued the order. Lawmakers from both parties have repeatedly questioned the legality of the Pentagon’s operations in South America, with some claiming the strike on survivors amounts to a war crime.
Experts have also questioned the motivations behind the deployment, claiming American firepower far exceeds what is needed for the US’ stated anti-narcotics operations.