Hegseth announces airstrikes against suspected drug boats in the Pacific
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced two additional airstrikes Monday against suspected drug trafficking vessels in international waters.
The two attacks bring the total number of Trump administration airstrikes against suspected drug ships to 19. Footage of the two strikes released by the Pentagon shows the ships exploding into flames and debris.
“Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, two deadly kinetic strikes were conducted on two vessels operated by designated terrorist organizations. Our intelligence knew that these vessels were associated with illicit narcotics smuggling, were transporting narcotics, and transiting along a known transit route for narcotics trafficking in the Eastern Pacific,” Hegseth said in a statement.
“Both strikes were carried out in international waters and three male narcoterrorists were on board each vessel. All six were killed. No US forces were injured,” he added.
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“Under the leadership of President Trump, we are protecting the homeland and killing these terrorist cartels who wish to harm our country and its people,” he said.
At least 72 suspected narcoterrorists were killed in recent strikes and three survived.
US MILITARY KILLS 2 SUSPECTED NARCOTERRORISTS IN 16TH STRIKE IN EASTERN PACIFIC, HEGSETH SAYS
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced two additional airstrikes Monday against suspected drug trafficking vessels in international waters. (X, @secwar)
The Trump administration has created a new joint counternarcotics task force, operating near U.S. Southern Command, with the goal of “crushing the cartels, stopping the poison, and keeping America safe.”
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The United States killed six suspected drug traffickers on a boat in international waters near Venezuela, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday, October 14, 2025. (trueDonaldTrump/Truth Social)
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The task force will coordinate air, maritime and special operations missions throughout the region, constituting the largest U.S. military effort in the Caribbean in decades.
This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.
