U.S. Military Expands Lethal Anti-Narcotics Strikes to Pacific, Killing Two in Latest Operation
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military carried out a lethal strike against a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, killing both people aboard, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday.
Hegseth said the strike was conducted at the direction of President Donald Trump and targeted a vessel “being operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization and conducting narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific.” The operation marks the eighth known U.S. strike on alleged drug-smuggling vessels since early September, and the first outside the Caribbean.
At least 34 people have been killed in those eight strikes, U.S. officials said.
“The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics,” Hegseth wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Both terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike.”
Hegseth described the operation as part of an intensified campaign against what he called “narco-terrorists” seeking to bring drugs into the United States.
“Just as al Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people,” he said. “There will be no refuge or forgiveness—only justice.”
The Trump administration has defended the strikes as necessary to combat transnational cartels it labels terrorist organizations. CNN previously reported that a classified legal opinion produced by the administration sought to justify lethal strikes against a secret list of cartels and suspected traffickers — a move that effectively treats them as enemy combatants.
Critics and legal scholars have questioned the legality of such operations, arguing that targeting suspected traffickers without judicial oversight could violate international law and set a dangerous precedent.
The strike comes just days after two similar attacks in the Caribbean, one of which left survivors who were detained by the U.S. Navy before being repatriated to Ecuador and Colombia. That incident raised questions about the administration’s authority to hold foreign nationals captured in anti-narcotics operations.
The Pentagon has not disclosed the nationality of the latest vessel or the identities of those killed.
This is a developing story.
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This is just downright criminal, for something that is alleged? Why not capture an conduct a search and if anything is found take them before the court and deal with them severely i’am all for that. This to me is raw tyranny by a world power
No no no no!
Caribbean leaders must speak out against this.
It is obvious that the boats was empty.
Whats the rational for tge strike?
Trump and those involved shoukd be tried for crimes against humanity.
They should be tried for war crimes.
Why are Caribbean leaders so silent against something so serious?
If this was in America or international waters it would not bother me that much.
However I cannot see a Caribbean leader approving of such an attack on the citizens of another country in their water.
If Trinidad has a crime and drug problem in their waters let them deal with it.
It is not for America to deal with matters in no other sovereign country’s waters wothout theor consent.
No way!!!!
Thats criminal!!!!
Why haven’t ANR publish an article about the 2 Trinidadian killed not even a week ago and how the family is asking for justice for your family of one of the fishermen?
WTF, STOP THE KILLING. I don’t believe for one moment that those 2 were drug smugglers.