U.S. defense officials say the military conducted three lethal strikes Monday against four vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean suspected of narcotics trafficking, resulting in 14 confirmed deaths and one survivor.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the four vessels were identified by U.S. intelligence as operating along known drug trafficking routes and linked to “Designated Terrorist Organizations.” (RELATED: Inside Trump’s Endgame With Maduro)
The strikes were first publicly announced by Hegseth in a social media post, marking the first time multiple strikes were disclosed in a single day.
According to the announcement, Mexican authorities coordinated rescue efforts for the lone survivor.
“Four male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the second strike. Three male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the third strike. A total of 14 narco-terrorists were killed during the three strikes, with one survivor,” Hegseth said.
Fox News sheds more light on the developing campaign:
Hegseth had announced on Friday that under direction from President Trump, the “Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO), trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean Sea.
“Six male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters — and was the first strike at night,” Hegseth said regarding that strike. “All six terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike.”
The broader campaign began in September, which has already resulted in dozens of fatalities in similar operations in the Caribbean and Pacific. (RELATED: Trump’s Caribbean Strategy Sparks Capitol Hill Showdown)
Monday’s strikes, carried out alongside major military deployments to the southern Caribbean, signal a significant escalation in U.S. involvement in counter-narcotics operations — extending the use of lethal force to maritime drug trafficking routes rather than relying solely on law enforcement interdictions.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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