US forces have killed 14 people in strikes on four alleged drug boats in the Pacific, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says.
He stated that one survivor was rescued by Mexican search and rescue personnel.
This incident is the latest in a series of attacks on vessels that the US claims have been involved in drug trafficking activities in both the Pacific and Caribbean.
The recent strikes in the eastern Pacific, which Hegseth noted occurred on Monday under President Donald Trump's direction, represent an escalation in the US's efforts to combat drug traffickers.
So far, at least 51 individuals have reportedly died as a result of these operations, leading to heightened tensions between the US and the governments of Colombia and Venezuela.
While many strikes have occurred off the South American coast, operations have expanded to the Pacific Ocean in recent weeks.
The US strikes have faced regional backlash, with questions raised about their legality. Concerns have also been voiced by members of Congress across party lines regarding the authority of the president to conduct these operations.
In a statement posted on X, Hegseth remarked that the four vessels targeted had been identified by US intelligence as being involved in drug shipments along known trafficking routes.
Eight individuals identified as “narco-terrorists” were killed in the first strike, with subsequent attacks resulting in four and three casualties, respectively.
The only survivor from the attack’s outcome was taken under the care of Mexican search-and-rescue teams, though details on their condition or whereabouts remain unclear.
The department has spent over two decades defending other homelands, Hegseth stated. Now, we're defending our own.\
