The United States military carried out a series of strikes against vessels suspected of transporting drugs in the Eastern Pacific, killing 14 suspected traffickers and leaving one survivor, according to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The operation is part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing anti-drug campaign.
The strikes coincided with a large US military deployment in the Caribbean, including guided-missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine, and thousands of troops. The USS Ford strike group has been ordered to the region and is expected to arrive in the Caribbean in the coming weeks.
Hegseth noted that Mexican authorities handled the rescue operation for the lone survivor. He stated that four of the targeted vessels were identified by US intelligence, traveling along known drug trafficking routes carrying narcotics. He also shared a 30-second video showing vessels in the water shortly before they exploded.
The strikes follow at least 10 other operations in the Caribbean and Pacific since early September, raising tensions between the US and countries such as Venezuela and Colombia. In addition, Trump has authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela.
The Pentagon has provided limited details regarding the operations, including the amount of drugs transported and the identities of those killed. The strikes have raised concerns among some Democratic lawmakers, questioning whether the operations fully comply with international law and the laws of war.
