The Trump administration has told the Congress that it is now in an “armed conflict” against drug cartels, as the American military launched strikes against alleged drug carrying boats from September 2 onwards.
The United States’ military has carried out 19 strikes in the Caribbean and off the Pacific Ocean in a campaign against alleged drug trafficking boats that has destroyed 20 vessels and killed 76 people. President Donald Trump-led administration has said that it is aimed at curtailing the flow of drugs into the United States.
In the 19 strikes, there had been at least three survivors, two of whom were earlier detained by the US Navy before being deported to their respective home countries and the third survivor was presumed dead after a search was conducted by the Mexican Navy.
The Trump administration has told the Congress that it is now in an “armed conflict” against drug cartels, as the American military launched strikes against alleged drug carrying boats from September 2 onwards. The federal government has said that those killed in the strikes are “unlawful combatants” and stated that the administration has the ability to carry out strikes without judicial review due to a classified Justice Department finding, CNN reported.
WHAT DOES INTERNATIONAL LAW SAY
The international waters are governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) but the United States is not a signatory to the convention. However, US military’s legal advisors have earlier said that America should “act in a manner consistent with its provisions,” BBC reported.
📹 DESTROYED: Confirmed DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE navigating towards the United States on a well-known narcotrafficking transit route.
“Under my watch, the United States of America will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea.” – President Trump pic.twitter.com/N4TAkgPHXN— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 18, 2025
Under the UNCLOS, the countries who are its signatories agree to not interfere with vessels operating in international waters. “Force can be used to stop a boat but generally this should be non-lethal measures,” said Professor Luke Moffett of Queens University Belfast.
WHICH WEAPONS ARE BEING USED TO STRIKE DRUG BOATS
The US military is using a combination of weapons to strike alleged drug carrying vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean, including drones, gunships, and fighter jets, a CNN report stated quoting a person familiar with the assets being deployed. MQ-9 Reaper drones have been used by the American military in carrying out most of the strikes.
The MQ-9 Reaper drones are remotely operated aircraft which are generally armed with Hellfire missiles. The report adds that other strikes on drug carrying boats have been conducted via manned aircraft, including AC-130J gunships and fighter jets.
