WASHINGTON – The U.S. military carried out another attack on a suspected drug trafficking ship in the eastern Pacific on Saturday, killing three people, according to a Sunday release sent to X from the U.S. Southern Command.
The latest attack is at least the 21st the military has carried out against suspected drug trafficking ships during the second Trump administration, prompting concern among some lawmakers.
The US Southern Command post said the attack was ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The publication alleged that the ship was “operated by a designated terrorist organization” and was “trafficking narcotics in the eastern Pacific,” adding that the attack took place in international waters.
“Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting a known drug trafficking route and transporting narcotics,” the post said.
NBC News has not independently confirmed the military’s account of the attack. The administration has provided no evidence to support its allegations about the ship or the people on board.
Video released by the US Southern Command appears to show the attack causing a large wave to rise next to the ship, which is then engulfed in flames.
The announcement came days after NBC News previously reported that the Trump administration carried out its 20th such strike, according to a Pentagon official. That attack took place in the Caribbean Sea. Previous attacks took place in both the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific and have killed more than 75 people, according to authorities.
Sunday’s announcement came the same day the USS Gerald R. Ford, a major aircraft carrier, arrived in the Caribbean.
The strikes have sparked controversy in Congress, as Democrats and some Republicans describe the administration’s actions as a heavy-handed overreach that bypasses lawmakers.
But in October, the Senate rejected a resolution requiring Trump to get congressional approval to carry out military strikes in the Caribbean. Earlier this month, the Senate rejected a similar resolution that would require the president to obtain congressional approval for any military action against Venezuela.
Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky sided with Democrats to push for a congressional authorization requirement.
Paul previously said in an October interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that the strikes “go against our entire tradition.” He expressed concern about people killed without the administration providing evidence of a crime, and noted the possibility that some of those killed could be innocent.
