August 23, 2026 · Foreign Policy, War & National Security

Confirmed

U.S. Resumes Boat Strikes After a Two-Month Pause, Killing Two and Bringing the Campaign Toll to 223

U.S. Southern Command announced on Aug. 24 that American forces had carried out a "lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel" in the eastern Pacific the previous day, killing two people it accused of drug...

July 27, 2026 · Foreign Policy, War & National Security

Well supported

DEA Assessment Finds the Boat Strikes Have Not Reduced Cocaine Supply or Price, The Washington Post Reports

A previously unreported Drug Enforcement Administration assessment reviewed by The Washington Post found that U.S. military strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats have not affected the supply or price of cocaine in...

September 30, 2025 · Foreign Policy, War & National Security

Confirmed

Trump's Claim That Each Venezuela Drug Boat Strike Saves 25,000 Lives

Speaking at Marine Corps Base Quantico on September 30, 2025, President Trump claimed that each intercepted Venezuelan drug boat was responsible for roughly 25,000 deaths, a figure he repeated in later weeks as...