Another strike against a suspected drug vessel was conducted by the United States, with this latest operation taking place in the Eastern Pacific, as announced by Pete Hegseth on Wednesday.
Tuesday’s strike on a boat suspected of transporting narcotics marks the eighth such operation carried out by the Trump administration. The prior seven incidents occurred in the Caribbean.
“Yesterday, acting under President Trump’s orders, the Department of War executed a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific. This vessel was being operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization and was engaged in narco-trafficking. Our intelligence indicated that the vessel was involved in illegal narcotics smuggling, was traveling on a recognized narco-trafficking route, and contained narcotics,” Hegseth stated.
“During the strike, which took place in international waters, two narco-terrorists were on board the vessel. Both of these individuals were killed, and no U.S. personnel sustained injuries in the operation,” he further explained.
Earlier in the week, Hegseth reported that a U.S. strike targeting a drug smuggling vessel linked to Colombia’s National Liberation Army resulted in the deaths of three suspected narco-terrorists.
This “lethal kinetic strike” occurred on Friday in international waters, authorized by President, Hegseth shared in a post on X.
“Our intelligence confirmed that the vessel was engaged in illicit narcotics smuggling, was moving along a recognized narco-trafficking route, and was carrying significant quantities of narcotics,” Hegseth stated. “Three male narco-terrorists were present on board the vessel during the strike, which was carried out in international waters.”
“All three terrorists perished, and no U.S. personnel were injured during this operation,” he further noted.
Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) is a . Hegseth drew a comparison between the Colombian rebel organization and the al Qaeda terror group, which was established by Usama bin Laden in Afghanistan.
The military campaign initiated by the Trump administration against suspected drug-smuggling vessels has resulted in a death toll of at least 34. These operations commenced last month and form part of Trump’s wider strategy to dismantle by force.
Last Thursday, the U.S. military conducted a strike on what President Trump later described as a “very large drug-carrying submarine” in the Caribbean, and capturing two others alive.
On Tuesday, a distinct strike resulted in the deaths of six suspected smugglers who were on board a vessel off the Venezuelan coast.