Deaths linked to U.S. strikes on vessels the Trump administration says were involved in drug smuggling have now surpassed 100, according to reported tallies.
The death toll stood at 99 on December 17, after the U.S. military said four people were killed in a strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean. U.S. Southern Command said the vessel was operated by narco-terrorists along a trafficking route.
A subsequent set of strikes on December 18 pushed the reported total beyond 100, intensifying criticism from some lawmakers and human rights groups over the operations’ transparency, legal basis, and oversight.
In a statement to Newsweek, Amnesty International USA Director of Security and Human Rights Daphne Eviatar said the campaign by Trump “signals the administration’s total disregard for the law.”
Why It Matters
Since September, the U.S. military has conducted airstrikes in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific that it says are aimed at drug cartels—groups the White House describes as “narco-terrorists.”
Crossing the 100-death mark is likely to sharpen scrutiny of the administration’s approach, particularly amid arguments from critics that the government has not provided evidence that the strikes are reducing drug flows. Some of that criticism has focused on the administration’s repeated linkage of trafficking routes to Venezuela and the government of President Nicolás Maduro.
What To Know
U.S. Southern Command said the most recent strikes occurred Thursday in the Eastern Pacific and targeted two vessels it described as being operated by “Designated Terrorist Organizations.” The command said five people were killed—three on the first boat and two on the second—and that no U.S. troops were harmed.
The Trump administration has argued the campaign is necessary to curb drugs entering the United States and has framed it as part of an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. On December 17, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a “lethal kinetic strike” on a vessel involved in “narcotrafficking operations” killed four people.
Also on December 17, House Republicans voted down two Democratic-backed resolutions that would have required the administration to seek congressional authorization before carrying out the strikes. Similar measures had faced resistance from most Senate Republicans, and Trump would likely veto them if they reached his desk.
Trump has also ordered a major military deployment off Venezuela’s coast and announced a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. He has accused Caracas of using oil revenue to fund drug trafficking and other crimes—claims Maduro has rejected, arguing the U.S. is pursuing regime change rather than combating trafficking.
Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the president must consult Congress before introducing armed forces into hostilities unless there is a declaration of war or specific congressional authorization. The White House has said the requirement does not apply because the boat strikes do not place U.S. service members in harm’s way.
Eviatar said Congress should use its oversight authority to press for answers about how these decisions are made, what intelligence supports them, and what legal justification the administration is relying on. She urged lawmakers “to rein in this administration’s lawless behavior.”
What People Are Saying
Amnesty International USA Director of Security and Human Rights Daphne Eviatar, in a statement: “Intercepting purported drug boats is a law enforcement operation, subject to policing standards derived from international human rights law, which holds that all people have the rights to life and to a fair trial and only allows states to use lethal force when an imminent threat to life exists and less extreme means, like capture, are insufficient.”
What Happens Next
With reported deaths now over 100, pressure is likely to grow on the administration to provide clearer public accounting of the strikes—how targets are identified, what legal framework governs the operation, and what measures exist to prevent wrongful killings.
The rising toll may also intensify debate over whether the “Southern Spear” operation will expand, and whether the administration could pursue broader military action tied directly to Venezuela.
