Are Trump’s Strikes in the Caribbean Making Americans Safer? Amelia Olsen
Amelia Olsen
Staff Writer
On October 24, 2025, the United States conducted a strike against a speedboat in the Caribbean carrying six men, allegedly transporting drugs. This is the tenth strike in a series of attacks by the U.S. since September. These strikes have caused 37 casualties, according to The New York Times. The majority of the attacks have been on Venezuelan boats, but the U.S. also targeted Colombian and Trinidadian boats. The Trump administration has stated these strikes have saved American lives by preventing thousands of drug overdoses, but the facts do not support this. President Trump’s strikes in the Caribbean are not making Americans significantly safer.
President Trump has stated, “Every boat that we knock out, we save 25,000 American lives.” According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2024, there were an estimated 80,391 drug-related deaths in the U.S. For Trump’s statement to be accurate, these ten strikes would be responsible for saving 250,000 Americans from drug-related deaths, but this greatly exceeds the number of drug-related deaths in the U.S. before these strikes occurred. Venezuela, Colombia, and Trinidad and Tobago are not the origin of most drugs, such as fentanyl, that enter the U.S. President Trump has stated that most of these boats have been transporting fentanyl. PBS reports the majority of Fentanyl that enters the U.S. is transported from Mexico, stating, “Venezuela plays a minor role in trafficking drugs that reach the U.S.” Trump’s strikes in the Caribbean are not saving a significant number of Americans from drug-related deaths.
Trump’s strikes may be harming Americans more than they are protecting them. The New York Times reports, “10,000 troops and dozens of military aircraft and ships” have been moved to the Caribbean. Also, Trump reportedly instructed the Central Intelligence Agency to carry out covert operations in Venezuela. In response, The Caribbean Community, CARICOM, a group of 21 Caribbean countries, has reinforced that the area should remain a zone of peace. However, this seems to be wishful thinking. When asked why the men on the boats were killed, Vice President J.D. Vance replied, “If you look at the war of terrorism, you look at any other global conflict, what do we do with combatants in those wars depends very heavily on the circumstances on the ground.” The possibility of troops on the ground is very high. According to the Wall Street Journal, President Trump has also stated that the U.S. would begin looking for cartels and gangs, such as the Cartel of the Suns and Tren de Aragua. “Expectations that the United States will pursue a more militaristic path in Venezuela is high,” reports Foreign Policy. The U.S. is preparing for a heavier military presence in Latin America.
The strikes in the Caribbean have increased tension between the U.S., Venezuela, and Colombia. In response to strikes on a Colombian boat on October 19, Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for the end of U.S. strikes in the Caribbean. In response, the Trump administration has threatened to withdraw humanitarian aid and place sanctions on Colombia. U.S. relations with Venezuela have also become increasingly strained. According to The New York Times, to appease President Trump, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has given the U.S. dominant stakes in Venezuelan oil and allowed U.S. deportation flights of Venezuelan migrants. However, these appeasements have not affected U.S. militarization of the Caribbean. One of the only Caribbean leaders in support of increased U.S. military presence in the area is the Trinidadian Prime Minister, Kamala Persad-Bissessar. According to the New York Times, she has explicitly stated that she supports the U.S. strikes, despite the death of Trinidadian citizens. U.S. strikes in the Caribbean have raised tensions between multiple countries in the region and have not had any significant effect on saving American lives.
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