With the ongoing airstrikes being carried out by the U.S. military on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, questions about rules of engagement have become more pronounced, not only with the escalation of the attacks, but with the “double tap” strike that was levied on a presumably disabled vessel currently being under investigation.
Since attacks began on September 2, the U.S. military has killed 83 people in strikes that have destroyed 22 boats as part of a campaign that Washington says is aimed at curtailing the flow of drugs into the United States. President Donald Trump proclaimed on Truth Social that the strikes were against “positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility.”
During the September 2 attack in the Caribbean, the U.S. military carried out a follow-up strike after the first apparently didn’t kill everyone on board. While the first strike appeared to disable the boat and cause deaths, the second attack killed the remaining crew, bringing the total deaths to 11 in this first strike.
The Senate and House Armed Services Committees said they plan to conduct “vigorous oversight” of the follow-up strike, as some members have expressed concern that the “double tap” strike could violate the law of armed conflict, which prohibits the execution of an enemy combatant taken out of the fight due to injury or surrender.
Many of the initial strikes occurred off the coast of Venezuela, and as the attacks escalated, tensions rose. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro called the strikes “serial executions” and called on the UN to investigate, claiming the U.S. was seeking regime change. The U.S. deployed significant military assets near Venezuela, while Trump continued to denounce Maduro as a corrupt dictator responsible for drug and human trafficking and acts of violence and terror across the United States and the Western Hemisphere.
In mid-October, another strike saw two survivors, one each from Ecuador and Colombia, briefly detained by the U.S. Navy before being sent back to their home countries. One day later, a seventh targeted vessel was destroyed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed was tied to a Colombian terrorist organization. These attacks sparked public clashes between Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a longtime ally of the U.S. Petro denounced the attack, accusing the U.S. of killing innocent Colombian citizens.
Trump announced he would cancel all U.S. aid and subsidies to the country.
Strikes began in the Pacific Ocean on October 21. On October 27, multiple strikes were carried out on the same day, as four vessels were hit in the international waters of the Eastern Pacific. Hegseth stated that 14 individuals were killed aboard the vessels “operated by known terrorist organizations,” with one survivor who was not recovered.
“The four vessels were known by our intelligence apparatus, transiting along known narco-trafficking routes, and carrying narcotics,” said Hegseth.
In addition to the attacks, the strained relationship between the U.S. and Venezuela has impacted not just both countries, but the global economy as a whole. Exacerbated by U.S. sanctions, Venezuelan oil exports continue to decline, affecting oil prices globally. The country has already lost an estimated billions of dollars in oil revenue.
While Venezuela has seen its GDP decline by, reportedly, 213% between 2017 and 2024, new measures such as tariffs on oil and the designation of cartels as terrorist organizations have caused further instability, creating challenges in importing food and medicine.
The reduction in Venezuelan oil exports could drive up global energy prices, particularly affecting countries in Europe and Asia. This could destabilize emerging markets dependent on South American oil flows.
Also, military escalation in the region could disrupt shipping lanes in the Caribbean, increasing logistical costs and potentially leading to a rise in commodity prices.
Any short-term resolution seems unlikely, as Trump remains intent on weakening Maduro and has spoken publicly that the U.S. could “very soon” expand its attacks from boats off the coast of Venezuela to targets inside the country.
But there has been a reported phone call between Trump and Maduro, reportedly about a possible meeting in the United States. Few details of the discussion have been made public, other than that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also on the call.
The reported call follows Trump’s long history of engaging in dual tracks with adversaries, with discussions on one track and the threat of force on the other. No meeting between the two has been confirmed at this time.
