The United States has launched its 16th military strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, marking a continued escalation in its efforts to combat drug trafficking networks. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the operation at the Pentagon, stating it was conducted to disrupt the flow of illicit narcotics through maritime routes. The strike resulted in at least two fatalities, bringing the total number of casualties from these operations to 6,700 across the Caribbean and Pacific regions.
These strikes have been part of a broader U.S. strategy to target drug trafficking organizations that have increasingly turned to the oceans to bypass traditional land borders and evade detection. The use of maritime routes for smuggling has become a growing concern, particularly in the Caribbean and Pacific regions where drug cartels have established complex smuggling networks. Hegseth emphasized that the U.S. military’s actions are aimed at disrupting these operations and reducing the flow of narcotics into American ports and communities.