The attack took place on Saturday (Nov 15); Rubio wants to classify the Cartel de los Soles as a “foreign terrorist organization”
The United States carried out, on Saturday (15.Nov.2025), another attack against a boat that they accuse of being involved in drug trafficking in the Pacific Ocean. According to the Pentagon, 3 people died.
“Intelligence information confirmed that the vessel was involved in narcotics smuggling, transiting a known drug trafficking route and transporting drugs”declared on Sunday (16.nov) the US Southern Command in a social media post.
According to the statement, the boat was in international waters when it was struck by an operation task force called , under the command of the US Secretary of War, .
This was the 21st attack on boats accused of drug trafficking carried out by the US Armed Forces since the beginning of September, in an action that the US government classified as justified to interrupt the flow of drugs to the US. The attacks have already killed more than 83 people.
Members of the US Congress and human rights groups question the legality of the attacks. The president’s government (Republican Party) claimed to have the legal authority to carry out the attacks. The US Department of Justice provided a legal opinion justifying the actions and arguing that the US military carrying out the operations are immune from prosecution.
On Sunday (Nov 16), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the State Department would designate the Cartel de los Soles as a “foreign terrorist organization”which makes it a crime for anyone in the US to provide material support to the group. US authorities accuse the Cartel de los Soles of working with the Tren de Aragua organization to send narcotics into the country.
The Trump administration stated that the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro (United Socialist Party of Venezuela, left), leads the Cartel de los Soles, which the Venezuelan denies. The Pentagon has sent warships, fighter jets and a nuclear submarine to the Caribbean, while US officials consider the possibility of military action against the Maduro government.
Watch the video of Saturday’s attack (Nov 15):
On Nov. 15, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling,…
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom)
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