In a dramatic escalation of the United States’ anti-narcotics campaign, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that U.S. forces killed 14 suspected drug traffickers in a series of precision strikes on four boats operating in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
According to Hegseth, the coordinated operation targeted vessels identified as part of Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTOs) trafficking narcotics along established smuggling routes.
“All strikes were conducted in international waters, with no U.S. forces harmed,” Hegseth said. “President Donald Trump ordered the strikes after intelligence confirmed the vessels were carrying narcotics and linked to known terrorist networks.”
Operation Details: Four Vessels, Four Strikes
The operation unfolded across multiple maritime targets in what officials describe as one of the most significant counter-narcotics actions of recent months.
- First strike: Eight suspected narco-terrorists killed
- Second strike: Four suspects killed
- Third strike: Three suspects killed, one survivor
- Total: 14 confirmed killed across the engagements
Following the third strike, U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) initiated a Search and Rescue (SAR) mission. Mexican authorities assumed control of the survivor’s rescue operation, in accordance with international maritime protocols.
“We’re Defending Our Own Homeland Now,” Says Hegseth
In his statement, Secretary Hegseth underscored the administration’s new doctrine of taking the fight directly to drug-linked terror networks.
“The Department has spent over two decades defending other homelands. Now, we’re defending our own,” Hegseth declared.
“These narco-terrorists have killed more Americans than Al-Qaeda, and they will be treated the same. We will track them, we will network them, and then we will hunt and kill them.”
The remarks mark one of the most forceful public defenses of the administration’s aggressive counter-narcotics strategy, which has expanded significantly since September 2, when the Trump administration authorized military force against DTO-linked vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific regions.
Broader Campaign: Caribbean Operations and the Ford Carrier Group Deployment
Tuesday’s announcement follows several similar operations over the past month. On Friday, Hegseth confirmed a lethal nighttime strike on a vessel operated by Tren de Aragua (TdA)—a Venezuela-based group officially designated as a terrorist organization.
All six individuals aboard that vessel were killed, and no U.S. personnel were harmed.
Additionally, the U.S. recently deployed the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to bolster counter-narcotics and maritime security operations across the Western Hemisphere, underscoring Washington’s renewed focus on disrupting transnational drug networks.
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Dozens Killed Since September 2 in Anti-Drug Offensive
Officials report that dozens of suspected narco-terrorists have been killed since the campaign began last month, with most operations unfolding in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Intelligence sources indicate that the strikes have already disrupted multiple trafficking routes and forced DTOs to alter their maritime operations.
While international reaction remains cautious, U.S. defense officials say the campaign reflects a long-term commitment to “direct action against the most dangerous networks threatening American lives.”
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