Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. military has conducted another strike in the Eastern Pacific targeting alleged narco-terrorists linked to drug trafficking. The operation, carried out in international waters, resulted in the death of three suspects who were involved in smuggling narcotics. The strike was ordered at the direction of President Donald Trump, according to Hegseth, who described the attack as part of a broader effort to combat narco-terrorist networks.
Hegseth emphasized that the vessel targeted was known to be engaged in illicit narcotics smuggling and was transiting along a well-documented narco-trafficking route. ‘These are not simply drug runners—these are narco-terrorists bringing death and destruction to our cities,’ he said, adding that the DTOs are the ‘Al Qaeda of our hemisphere’ and will not escape justice. The Pentagon has refused to release the identities of those killed or evidence of drugs on board, maintaining a policy of secrecy surrounding the operation.
This is the ninth vessel strike since September, with the second reported in the Eastern Pacific. Hegseth stated that the strikes will continue, ‘day after day,’ to ensure the threat to American citizens is eliminated. While the strike did not involve U.S. forces, it highlighted the ongoing efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks through military action. The Department of Defense has not provided further details on the location or timing of the strike, leaving the public with limited information on the operation’s specifics.
Analysts have expressed concern over the lack of transparency, particularly regarding the evidence of drugs involved in the operation. While the military’s goal of countering narco-trafficking is clear, the absence of concrete details has raised questions about the effectiveness and proportionality of such strikes. Despite this, Hegseth remains resolute in his stance, vowing to continue targeting DTOs until the threat to American citizens is fully mitigated.