WASHINGTON (BN24) — Six people were killed Sunday after U.S. forces carried out two strikes on boats allegedly operated by drug cartels in the eastern Pacific, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced. The attacks mark the latest in a series of U.S. military operations targeting suspected narco-trafficking networks in international waters.
According to Hegseth, each of the targeted vessels carried three men and was struck while transiting a well-known drug trafficking route. “These vessels were known by our intelligence to be associated with illicit narcotics smuggling, were carrying narcotics, and were transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route in the Eastern Pacific,” Hegseth said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The defense secretary described the men killed as “narco-terrorists” and said the strikes were part of a broader campaign against what the U.S. government classifies as “designated terrorist organizations.” No evidence has yet been presented to confirm their direct involvement in organized drug trafficking, and the victims’ identities have not been released.
Video footage shared by Hegseth showed the moment of the explosions as the small boats were struck from the air. The U.S. Department of Defense has not disclosed what type of weaponry was used in the attacks or the specific intelligence that led to the operation.
The strikes have drawn condemnation from several South American governments, including Colombia and Venezuela, which have accused Washington of overstepping international norms and escalating regional tensions. The operations have also fueled growing debate in Congress over the scope of President Donald Trump’s military authority in such missions.
Last week, senators narrowly voted down a proposal that would have required congressional approval for any future military action against Venezuela. President Trump has defended the ongoing strikes, arguing that his administration is confronting “narco-terrorist threats” in international waters and suggesting he would have no difficulty securing congressional backing if needed.
“I could seek Congress’ support for what we’re doing, and it would pass easily,” Trump said last month. “But the law is clear — we’re defending America against the flow of deadly narcotics, and that’s exactly what we’ll continue to do.”
The Pentagon has not released further details about whether additional operations are planned in the coming weeks.
