WASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Reuters) – The U.S. military killed two alleged drug smugglers in a strike against a vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday, an attack that expands the Trump administration’s use of the military in its counter-narcotics campaign.
The strike is the first known U.S. military operation in the Pacific since President Donald Trump started a new military offensive against the drug trade that has led to at least seven strikes in the Caribbean and dramatically raised U.S. tensions with Venezuela and Colombia.
He posted a roughly 30-second video on X, which appeared to show a vessel traveling in the water before exploding.
It was unclear why the administration carried out a strike in this instance instead of interdicting the vessel.
Last week, Reuters was first to report that two alleged drug traffickers survived a U.S. military strike in the Caribbean.
Reuters, Washington, Oct. 22: The U.S. S. In an attack on a ship in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the military killed two suspected drug smugglers. S. . On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a statement that broadens the use of the military by the Trump administration in its fight against drugs.
There has never been a strike like this. S. operation in the Pacific since President Donald Trump launched a fresh military campaign against the drug trade, which has resulted in at least seven Caribbean strikes and significantly increased U.S. S. . Colombian and Venezuelan tensions.
Without offering proof, Hegseth stated, “Our intelligence knew that the vessel was involved in illegal drug smuggling, was traveling along a known transit route for drug trafficking, and was carrying drugs.”.
He uploaded a 30-second video to X that seemed to show a ship moving through the water before blowing up.
At least 32 people have been killed by the strikes in the Caribbean, but the Trump administration has not disclosed many specifics, such as the number of alleged drugs the targeted vessels were carrying or the supporting evidence.
Experts in law have asked why the U. A. The military, not the Coast Guard, which is the primary U.S. A. maritime law enforcement agency, and why lethal strikes are not used before other measures to stop the shipments are taken.
At the time of the most recent strike, CBS News was the first to report on it. S. . An estimated 6,500 troops, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine, and guided missile destroyers are part of the Caribbean’s military buildup.
Operation Viper, the Coast Guard’s effort to stop drugs in the Pacific Ocean, began in August. The Coast Guard reported that it had seized over 100,000 pounds of cocaine as of October 15.
In this case, it was unclear why the administration chose to strike rather than interdict the ship.
Last week, Reuters was first to report that two alleged drug traffickers survived a U. S. Caribbean military strike. After being saved, they were taken to a U. S. . prior to being sent back to their native Ecuador and Colombia, a navy warship.
Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart reported, while Franklin Paul, Chizu Nomiyama, and Nia Williams edited.
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The Pentagon is the focus of this national security correspondent in Washington, D.C. Information about U. S. . military operations and activity worldwide, as well as the effects they have. has provided reports from more than two dozen nations, including Afghanistan, Iraq, and a large portion of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. from Pakistan’s Karachi.
Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, China, and South Sudan are just a few of the six nations Phil Stewart has covered. A renowned national security journalist based in Washington, Phil has moderated national security events such as the German Marshall Fund and the Reagan National Defense Forum and has appeared on NPR, PBS NewsHour, Fox News, and other shows. He has received the Joe Galloway Award and the Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence.
