U.S. military says latest strike on alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean kills 4

The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes to at least 235 in 70 strikes since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in September 2025.Daniel Slim / AFP via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleOct. 4, 2026, 11:07 PM EDT / Source: The Associated PressBy The Associated PressWASHINGTON — The U.S. military said it attacked a boat suspected of being used to smuggle drugs in the Caribbean Sea on Sunday, killing four people, as the Trump administration continues its yearlong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America.

The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. A video posted on X showed what appeared to be an explosion destroying a moving boat, which the military said was a go-fast vessel.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing smugglers.

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