The U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, announced on Wednesday that the American military conducted a strike on a boat believed to be transporting drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of all four occupants. This action followed three previous strikes in the same area the day before, as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts against drug cartels in South American waters.
Hegseth, who was on a trip to Japan and Malaysia, revealed on social media that intelligence indicated the vessel was traveling along a known drug trafficking route carrying narcotics. The strike took place in international waters without any harm to U.S. forces, as depicted in a video posted by Hegseth showing the boat engulfed in flames and smoke.
The Trump administration has been actively involved in a comprehensive campaign in the region, deploying a substantial naval force with marines and aircraft, leading to speculations about potential actions against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, accused of narcoterrorism. With the death toll now reaching at least 61 individuals, experts have raised concerns about the legality of these strikes.
President Trump has defended the boat attacks as necessary steps to curb the influx of drugs into the U.S., citing an “armed conflict” with drug cartels under the legal authority used post-9/11 by the Bush administration. However, the increased number of strikes has triggered a debate in Congress over the extent of the president’s powers, as they have been carried out without legal investigations or a formal declaration of war, prompting questions about the justification for the killings.
The administration has provided no substantial evidence to support its assertions regarding the targeted boats, their ties to drug cartels, or the identities of those killed in the strikes. This latest strike reported by Hegseth marks the 14th operation since the campaign’s initiation.