Facts to Inform the Debate about the U.S. Government’s Anti-Drug Offensive in the Americas
Facts to Inform the Debate about the U.S. Government’s Anti-Drug Offensive in the Americas
U.S. drug overdose deaths, while in notable decline since late 2023, remain a public health emergency, demanding effective public health solutions for U.S. families and communities struggling with substance use. However, current actions by the Trump administration as responses to overdose deaths (particularly those related to fentanyl) have instead focused on the use of lethal force against individuals suspected of transporting drugs abroad, most notably the killings of at least 104 civilians in military strikes in the Caribbean.
As numerous experts have highlighted, these killings are unlawful under domestic and international law. Moreover, as shown over decades of supply-focused interdiction efforts, the use of force to block or destroy drug shipments does not curtail U.S. illegal drug availability or consumption, nor does it weaken organized crime.
As of December 19, the known death toll from 28 lethal U.S. strikes on civilian vessels is 104. (WOLA - Washington Office on Latin America, USA, 19.12.2025)