The U.S. military said Monday it carried out lethal strikes on three boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing eight people, as lawmakers intensify scrutiny of an expanding military campaign authorized by President Donald Trump.
In a statement released online, the military said the vessels were linked to what it described as “designated terrorist organizations.” Officials said three people were killed aboard the first boat, two aboard the second and three aboard the third. The Pentagon did not present evidence to support its allegations of drug trafficking but released video footage showing a small vessel traveling across open water before erupting in an explosion.
The strikes come as Congress prepares for classified briefings amid growing unease over the scope, oversight and legal footing of the operation. The Associated Press has documented at least 25 known boat strikes since early September, with a reported death toll of no fewer than 95 people, including an earlier incident in which two survivors were killed after clinging to wreckage following an initial strike.
Trump has defended the strikes as a necessary escalation in what he has characterized as an “armed conflict” with international drug cartels, arguing that conventional law enforcement tools are insufficient to stem the flow of narcotics into the United States. Administration officials say the campaign is designed to disrupt maritime trafficking routes used by criminal networks operating across the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific.
Critics in Congress, however, have questioned whether the strikes stretch existing military authorities and risk blurring the line between counter-narcotics enforcement and armed conflict. Several lawmakers have pressed for clarity on how targets are identified and what safeguards exist to prevent civilian casualties.
Senior national security officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are expected to brief members of both chambers in closed-door sessions this week, the AP reported. The meetings are likely to focus on the intelligence underpinning the strikes, the rules of engagement and the administration’s long-term strategy.
Hegseth said Monday that the Defense Department is reviewing footage from recent operations to determine whether additional material can be released publicly. Calls for transparency have intensified following reports that follow-up strikes killed people who survived initial attacks.
The maritime campaign has unfolded alongside increased pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who faces U.S. charges of narcoterrorism. In a sharp escalation last week, American forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration accused of smuggling illicit crude.
Maduro has dismissed the allegations and accused Washington of using military pressure to destabilize his government, claims the White House has denied.
U.S. forces have now established their largest regional presence in decades, expanding surveillance and strike capabilities. Trump has said land-based operations could follow, though no details have been made public.
The growing use of military force against alleged smuggling boats marks a significant shift in how the United States confronts transnational drug networks. Legal experts say the strategy raises unresolved questions about congressional war powers, international maritime law and the threshold for treating criminal organizations as wartime enemies.
As lawmakers weigh whether to impose limits or demand new authorizations, the briefings scheduled this week could prove pivotal. For the Trump administration, the campaign represents a high-stakes effort to demonstrate resolve against drug trafficking. For Congress, it may test how far executive power can extend before formal legislative approval is required.
For now, the Pentagon shows no sign of slowing operations, even as scrutiny from Capitol Hill continues to build.
