Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says two people have been killed in a new US attack on an alleged drug-smuggling boat.
“Our intelligence determined the ship was involved in illicit drug trafficking, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route and was carrying narcotics,” Hegseth said in a post on X on Wednesday.
“There were two narco-terrorists on board the ship during the attack, which was conducted in international waters. Both terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in the attack,” Hegseth said of Tuesday’s operation.
The post was accompanied by a video showing a speedboat half loaded with packages moving quickly through the water before being hit by a projectile. The boat is then seen floating on water engulfed in flames.
First attack on alleged drug smugglers in the Pacific region
President Donald Trump’s administration began deploying covert warplanes and Navy ships in September as part of efforts to combat drug trafficking in the United States.
Tuesday’s attack in the eastern Pacific, which extends to the US West Coast, marks a change in operations.
Previous US attacks had targeted ships in the Caribbean, east of Central America.
According to the US Justice Department, most of the cocaine smuggled into the US comes into the country from Mexico.
But it mostly reaches Mexico via the eastern Pacific rather than the Caribbean, from Colombia and Peru, the world’s largest cocaine producers.
Are US attacks on boats in international waters legal?
It is the eighth US attack on alleged drug smugglers since September, in which at least 34 people have been killed.
Many legal experts and rights groups have criticized summary killings, saying that they are illegal, even if they target confirmed drug traffickers.
“The use of lethal force in international waters without an appropriate legal basis constitutes a violation of the international law of the sea,” UN experts said on Tuesday.
“This amounts to an extrajudicial execution,” the experts said in a statement. Statement by the United Nations Human Rights Office OHCHR,
The Trump administration has said the attacks are lawful. It has declared Latin American drug cartels as outlawed combatants and terrorist groups who must be combated with military force.
Regional tensions have increased due to US attacks
The US attacks have increased tensions with countries in the region.
This is especially the case in Venezuela, where the US military buildup has raised fears that the ultimate goal is to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro.
The US has accused Maduro of leading a drug cartel.
The US has increased its presence in the Caribbean region to about 10,000 troops as well as dozens of military aircraft and warships.
Last week, Trump confirmed authorizing the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela.
Meanwhile, the public feud between Trump and Colombia’s leftist leader Gustavo Petro has intensified in recent weeks over the Republican president’s deadly anti-drug campaign.
Trump on Sunday vowed to cut off all aid to Colombia, the world’s leading cocaine producer, and branded Petro an “illegal drug dealer.”
Colombia recalled its ambassador to the United States on Monday.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar