Lizbeth Perez looks fearful as she gazes out onto the postcard-perfect fishing bay of Taganga, on Colombia's Caribbean coast, recalling the moment she last spoke to her uncle in September.
He was a kind man, a good person, a friend. A good father, uncle, son. He was a cheerful person. He loved his work and his fishing.
Alejandro Carranza said goodbye to his family early in the morning on 14 September, before going out on his boat, as usual, his cousin Audenis Manjarres told state media. He left from La Guajira, a region in neighboring Venezuela.
The next day, US President Donald Trump announced that a military strike in international waters had targeted a vessel that had departed Venezuela, stating that three members of extraordinarily violent drug-trafficking cartels and narco-terrorists were killed.
Since that strike, Ms. Perez has not seen her uncle. His five children are missing their dad, leaving the family waiting anxiously for answers, not knowing if he was even on the boat hit. The truth is we don't know it was him; we don't have any proof that it was him, apart from what we saw on the news.
The US began striking alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean in September, expanding the operation to the Pacific. To date, 83 people have died in at least 21 strikes, according to US claims.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asserts that the campaign targets narco-terrorists threatening the US. Justifying these actions as self-defense, the Trump administration contends it's essential for saving American lives by stopping drugs entering the US.
However, these strikes drew condemnation from regional countries that are concerned about possible violations of international law. Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticized the strikes, claiming Colombian citizens were on board the boat attacked on 15 September and later stating Carranza was among those killed. These assertions prompted a robust denial from the White House, which called for President Petro to retract what they labeled a baseless and reprehensible statement.
As fears grow among the local fishing communities, particularly for those fishing near the disputed waters, apprehension is palpable. Fishermen like Juan Assis Tejeda express their worries, feeling threatened by drone surveillance and potential misidentification as drug traffickers.
Most in the region believe the conflict involves more than just targeting alleged drug-trafficking vessels; it may also be about the US applying military pressure on Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, who the US accuses of running a criminal trafficking organization, a claim Maduro vehemently denies.
As the US considers its next moves, the tranquil fishing villages dotting the Caribbean are left to wonder whether diplomacy or further military action lies ahead.
He was a kind man, a good person, a friend. A good father, uncle, son. He was a cheerful person. He loved his work and his fishing.
Alejandro Carranza said goodbye to his family early in the morning on 14 September, before going out on his boat, as usual, his cousin Audenis Manjarres told state media. He left from La Guajira, a region in neighboring Venezuela.
The next day, US President Donald Trump announced that a military strike in international waters had targeted a vessel that had departed Venezuela, stating that three members of extraordinarily violent drug-trafficking cartels and narco-terrorists were killed.
Since that strike, Ms. Perez has not seen her uncle. His five children are missing their dad, leaving the family waiting anxiously for answers, not knowing if he was even on the boat hit. The truth is we don't know it was him; we don't have any proof that it was him, apart from what we saw on the news.
The US began striking alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean in September, expanding the operation to the Pacific. To date, 83 people have died in at least 21 strikes, according to US claims.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asserts that the campaign targets narco-terrorists threatening the US. Justifying these actions as self-defense, the Trump administration contends it's essential for saving American lives by stopping drugs entering the US.
However, these strikes drew condemnation from regional countries that are concerned about possible violations of international law. Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticized the strikes, claiming Colombian citizens were on board the boat attacked on 15 September and later stating Carranza was among those killed. These assertions prompted a robust denial from the White House, which called for President Petro to retract what they labeled a baseless and reprehensible statement.
As fears grow among the local fishing communities, particularly for those fishing near the disputed waters, apprehension is palpable. Fishermen like Juan Assis Tejeda express their worries, feeling threatened by drone surveillance and potential misidentification as drug traffickers.
Most in the region believe the conflict involves more than just targeting alleged drug-trafficking vessels; it may also be about the US applying military pressure on Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, who the US accuses of running a criminal trafficking organization, a claim Maduro vehemently denies.
As the US considers its next moves, the tranquil fishing villages dotting the Caribbean are left to wonder whether diplomacy or further military action lies ahead.
