On November 1, 2025, the United States military carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel allegedly affiliated with “a Designated Terrorist Organization,” reportedly killing three men described as “narco-terrorists” in international waters in the Caribbean.

@SecWar Pete Hegseth published a statement on Twitter/X on November 1st announcing the strike “today” on a vessel reportedly involved in “illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route, and carrying narcotics”. In the video included in the post, a dark screen with multiple redaction squares is visible and then the screen erupts into what seems to be an explosion. No other features are discernible from the video.

There were no additional details found among local sources about the victims.

Methodological note about classification of those killed in this incident

In documenting this incident, Airwars is following the guidance outlined by independent International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law experts, whereby those on the vessels are understood to be civilians, given that the legal framework in which the strikes are being conducted remains in question.

Airwars has therefore included a civilian casualty count of three deaths.