On Friday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the US military executed a strike against a vessel linked to the Tren de Aragua drug trafficking organization in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in the deaths of six individuals identified as narco-terrorists. This operation marks the tenth strike against alleged drug traffickers since early September, with most actions occurring in the Caribbean and some in the Pacific Ocean. The Trump administration has framed these strikes as necessary to combat drug trafficking, although bipartisan concerns have emerged regarding the legality and authority of such military actions. Critics, including 25 Democratic senators, have questioned the evidence supporting these strikes and whether they pose a legitimate threat to the US. President Trump has asserted his legal authority to conduct these operations, designating Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization. The strikes are also perceived as a strategy to exert military pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been accused by Trump of leading a drug-trafficking organization.