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U.S. Military Strikes Kill 11 Narco‑Terrorists as Operation Tempo Slows After Maduro Capture

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  • A screengrab from a video shared by the U.S. Southern Command on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, appearing to show three U.S. strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean on February 16.
    A screengrab from a video shared by the U.S. Southern Command on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, appearing to show three U.S. strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean on February 16.
    Image: Newsweek
    A screengrab from a video shared by the U.S. Southern Command on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, appearing to show three U.S. strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean on February 16. Source Full size
  • A screengrab from a video shared by the U.S. Southern Command on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, appearing to show three U.S. strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean on February 16.
    A screengrab from a video shared by the U.S. Southern Command on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, appearing to show three U.S. strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean on February 16.
    Image: Newsweek
    A screengrab from a video shared by the U.S. Southern Command on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, appearing to show three U.S. strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean on February 16. Source Full size

Three vessels hit, eleven occupants killed on Feb. 17‑18 The U.S. Southern Command reported that on the night of Feb. 17 the military struck two eastern‑Pacific boats and one Caribbean craft, killing four, four and three men respectively, all identified as alleged narco‑terrorists [2][1]. The operation marked the deadliest single‑day action since the campaign began in September, bringing the total number of U.S. strikes to over 40 [1][2]. No U.S. personnel were injured, and the attacks were carried out by naval aircraft and surface ships operating in international waters [1][2].

Campaign death toll now exceeds 135‑145 across 40 strikes Since the first strike on Sept. 2, the anti‑drug campaign has resulted in at least 124 deaths reported in a Dec. 14 tally and, with the latest 11 fatalities, the cumulative count rises to between 135 and 145 [3][1][2]. A classified Justice Department memo from the previous fall authorized lethal force against a secret list of at least two dozen cartels, labeling targets as enemy combatants [2]. The administration frames the operation as an “armed conflict” that bypasses traditional criminal prosecution, a stance contested by Congress and human‑rights groups [3][2].

Legal and congressional backlash intensifies over war‑like tactics Democratic lawmakers and legal experts argue the strikes constitute unlawful killings of civilians, citing the absence of a formal declaration of war and violations of international law [1][2]. A September “double‑tap” incident, in which survivors of a prior strike were reportedly killed, has spurred war‑crime accusations and multiple investigations [1][2]. Human‑rights organizations demand transparency and the release of evidence linking the vessels to drug trafficking, emphasizing that prior policy relied on Coast Guard interdictions without lethal force [3][2].

Maduro capture and first U.S. casualty shift operational tempo The strikes coincided with the high‑profile capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who were taken aboard the USS Iwo Jima and flown to New York for narco‑terrorism charges [1]. Marine Lance Corporal Chukwuemeka Oforah died after falling overboard from the Iwo Jima on Feb. 10, prompting a 72‑hour search involving five Navy ships and ten aircraft [1]. Following Maduro’s apprehension, the frequency of Caribbean and Pacific attacks has noticeably decreased, suggesting a strategic pause in the campaign [1].

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Timeline

July 2024 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules that former President Donald Trump enjoys broad presidential immunity for official acts, shielding him from prosecution over the 2025 Caribbean boat‑strike campaign [11].

2025 – The State Department designates the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, giving the administration legal authority to target its members in maritime strikes [15].

Sept 2, 2025 – U.S. Southern Command conducts its first lethal strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean, killing nine crew members and splitting the boat in half; a follow‑up “double‑tap” strike 41 minutes later sinks the capsized hull and kills two survivors, despite their lack of radios [14][20][21].

Nov 2025 – A CBS News/YouGov poll finds 53 % of Americans support U.S. military action against suspected drug‑trafficking boats, while a Reuters‑Ipsos survey shows 29 % oppose killing suspects without trial [18].

Dec 4, 2025 – The administration orders a second Caribbean strike on an alleged drug‑smuggling vessel, adding to the death toll and prompting renewed legal scrutiny [18].

Dec 5, 2025 – United Nations human‑rights experts warn that the systematic lethal strikes “raise serious concerns about the commission of potential international crimes,” and the CIA begins covert operations in Venezuela with a $50 million bounty on President Nicolás Maduro [15].

Dec 9, 2025 – Congress ties the release of unedited strike videos to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel‑fund budget in the FY 2026 defense bill; Rep. Jim Himes calls the second‑strike footage “deeply, deeply troubling,” while Sen. Tom Cotton calls the actions “entirely lawful and needful” [5][10].

Dec 10, 2025 – U.S. forces seize an oil tanker off Venezuela, labeling it part of an illicit oil network; Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil condemns the seizure as “international piracy” [4].

Dec 15, 2025 – The Pentagon announces strikes on three eastern‑Pacific vessels, killing eight people; President Trump defends the operation as a necessary “armed conflict” against drug cartels [9].

Dec 16, 2025 – Southern Command posts footage of three Pacific boat strikes, reiterating that the vessels were on known narco‑trafficking routes and asserting the operations comply with the laws of armed conflict [4].

Dec 18, 2025 – Two additional strikes in the Eastern Pacific kill five people (three on one boat, two on another), raising the known strike count to 28 and total deaths to at least 104 [8].

Dec 23, 2025 – A low‑profile drug‑smuggling boat in the Eastern Pacific is struck, killing one crew member; the video shows the vessel drifting after a fire [7][28].

Dec 29, 2025 – A kinetic strike on a suspected drug vessel in international waters kills two men; the operation is directed by “SecWar” Pete Hegseth [27].

Dec 31 2025 – Jan 1, 2026 – On New Year’s Eve, U.S. forces strike two boats, killing five; the day before, a convoy of three boats is hit, killing three aboard one vessel while the others abandon ship, and an earlier Monday strike in the Eastern Pacific kills two [6].

Jan 1, 2026 – The U.S. military reports a separate strike on two drug‑carrying boats, killing five people, continuing the campaign that has produced over 30 lethal hits since September 2025 [3].

Early Jan 2026 – U.S. forces capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a move the Trump administration says targets a leader “colluding with traffickers” and intensifies pressure on Caracas [1].

Jan 27, 2026 – Relatives of two Trinidadian men killed in the 14 Oct 2025 strike file a lawsuit in Boston federal court under the Death on the High Seas Act, describing the attack as “lawless killings in cold blood; killings for sport and killings for theatre” [2].

Feb 6, 2026 – Southern Command announces a strike on an alleged drug boat in the Eastern Pacific that kills two people; the operation is the second U.S. lethal hit this year after a slowdown following Maduro’s capture [1].

Dec 2025 – 2026 (ongoing) – The FY 2026 defense appropriations bill mandates that the Department of Defense provide unedited videos of the Southern Command strikes to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, with non‑compliance limiting Secretary Hegseth’s travel‑fund expenditures; congressional hearings and oversight investigations continue into the legality of the “double‑tap” strikes [5][17][25].

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