/tags/u-s-military U.S. military en-US SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ä± Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:40:00 GMT /americas/2026-06-03/fact-check-what-to-know-about-us-military-boat-strikes-as-death-toll-passes-200 Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended U.S. military strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean during a Senate hearing June 2, saying the Defense Department determined the strikes’ legality and based its decisions on intelligence information. Here’s a rundown of our recent fact-checks and stories about the boat strikes. Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:40:00 GMT /americas/2026-06-03/fact-check-what-to-know-about-us-military-boat-strikes-as-death-toll-passes-200 Maria Briceño | PolitiFact /americas/2026-05-31/amnesty-international-accuses-u-s-military-of-illicit-campaign-of-murder-in-caribbean-and-pacific Amnesty International is calling on the Congress and global leaders to halt what it describes as an "unconscionable campaign of extrajudicial killings at sea" carried out by the U.S. military. Mon, 01 Jun 2026 01:45:53 GMT /americas/2026-05-31/amnesty-international-accuses-u-s-military-of-illicit-campaign-of-murder-in-caribbean-and-pacific Sergio R. Bustos /americas/2026-04-20/us-military-strike-on-alleged-drug-boat-kills-3-in-caribbean-sea The U.S. military says it's launched another strike on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea. The attack on Sunday killed three people. The Trump administration's campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and killed at least 181 people in total. Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:01:06 GMT /americas/2026-04-20/us-military-strike-on-alleged-drug-boat-kills-3-in-caribbean-sea Associated Press /americas/2025-11-14/us-aircraft-carrier-nears-venezuela-in-flex-of-american-military-power It's a stark flex of American military power not seen in Latin America for generations. Some experts foresee warplanes catapulting off the USS Gerald R Ford to strike targets in Venezuela unless authoritarian President Nicholas Maduro resigns. Fri, 14 Nov 2025 14:25:34 GMT /americas/2025-11-14/us-aircraft-carrier-nears-venezuela-in-flex-of-american-military-power Ben Finley, Konstantin Toropin and Regina Garcia Cano | Associated Press /americas/2025-11-04/trump-weighs-options-and-risks-for-attacks-on-venezuela The Trump administration has developed a range of options for military action in Venezuela, including direct attacks on military units that protect President Nicolás Maduro and moves to seize control of the country’s oil fields, according to multiple U.S. officials. Tue, 04 Nov 2025 20:30:20 GMT /americas/2025-11-04/trump-weighs-options-and-risks-for-attacks-on-venezuela David E. Sanger, Tyler Pager, Helene Cooper, Eric Schmitt and Devlin Barrett | The New York Times /government-politics/2025-10-16/head-of-the-u-s-militarys-southern-command-is-stepping-down-officials-say The military commander overseeing the Pentagon’s escalating attacks against boats in the Caribbean Sea that the Trump administration says are smuggling drugs is stepping down, three U.S. officials said Thursday. Thu, 16 Oct 2025 21:08:28 GMT /government-politics/2025-10-16/head-of-the-u-s-militarys-southern-command-is-stepping-down-officials-say Eric Schmitt and Tyler Pager | The New York Times /americas/2025-10-07/fishermen-in-trinidad-and-tobago-fear-for-their-lives-and-jobs-after-us-strikes-in-the-caribbean The country finds itself entangled in the net of a geopolitical face-off between the United States and Venezuela. Only about seven miles separate Trinidad and Venezuela at their closest point. Dozens of fishermen worry that their boat could be mistaken for a drug-smuggling vessel. Tue, 07 Oct 2025 11:00:00 GMT /americas/2025-10-07/fishermen-in-trinidad-and-tobago-fear-for-their-lives-and-jobs-after-us-strikes-in-the-caribbean Anselm Gibbs | Associated Press /americas/2025-09-22/us-military-strike-off-the-coast-of-venezuela-disrupts-life-in-impoverished-fishing-communities Residents say drug trafficking and fishing are common, but the strike has halted local spending. Fishermen claim they don't transport drugs but understand why some do, as fishing alone leads to poverty. Mon, 22 Sep 2025 11:00:00 GMT /americas/2025-09-22/us-military-strike-off-the-coast-of-venezuela-disrupts-life-in-impoverished-fishing-communities Regina Garcia Cano| Associated Press /government-politics/2024-09-13/politifact-fl-why-harris-debate-remarks-about-u-s-military-in-combat-zones-is-misleading A Defense Department spokesperson told PolitiFact that the U.S. is not currently engaged in a war, nor does the U.S. military have service members fighting in any active war zones. However, some U.S. military service members are stationed in areas the U.S. government recognizes as combat zones. Fri, 13 Sep 2024 11:00:00 GMT /government-politics/2024-09-13/politifact-fl-why-harris-debate-remarks-about-u-s-military-in-combat-zones-is-misleading Sara Swann | PolitiFact /government-politics/2024-03-15/doral-haiti-crisis-southcom-southern-command-richardson Four-star U.S. Army General Laura Richardson is the commander of U.S. Southern Command in South Florida, overseeing Latin America and the Caribbean for the Department of Defense. She tells SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ä± about her journey in the military and the response to the Haiti crisis. Fri, 15 Mar 2024 16:53:27 GMT /government-politics/2024-03-15/doral-haiti-crisis-southcom-southern-command-richardson Natu Tweh