US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that the US military conducted an airstrike targeting a boat in the Pacific Ocean suspected of being used for drug trafficking, resulting in the deaths of four people.
Hegseth announced X (formerly Twitter), stating that the operation was part of ongoing US efforts to curb international drug smuggling networks operating across the Pacific.
The strike comes just a day after more than 12 people were killed aboard four other boats in the eastern Pacific following similar US military actions.
These back-to-back operations have intensified Washington’s anti-narcotics campaign launched under President Donald Trump, which has so far resulted in at least 62 deaths, according to official figures.
The US military has been expanding its surveillance and strike operations in key maritime routes across Latin America and the Pacific, citing growing concerns over the use of international waters by transnational drug cartels.
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