The U.S. military executed a drone strike resulting in the deaths of two individuals suspected of drug smuggling, as announced by War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday.
This “lethal kinetic strike,” conducted under the direction of President Donald Trump, took place in international waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean. The targeted vessel was linked to a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO), according to Hegseth.
This operation marks the 16th such strike since President Trump initiated military actions against boats believed to be transporting illegal substances into the United States.
To date, these strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 66 individuals suspected to be involved in narco-terrorism, with only three surviving the attacks.
President Trump has consistently utilized military force against suspected drug trafficking operations, with the latest strike occurring this past Tuesday.
Hegseth shared on X that intelligence reports confirmed the vessel’s involvement in narcotics smuggling. It was navigating a well-known route associated with drug trafficking and was indeed carrying illegal drugs.
He said no U.S. forces were harmed and that two male narco-terrorists — who were aboard the vessel — were killed.
“We will find and terminate EVERY vessel with the intention of trafficking drugs to America to poison our citizens,” Hegseth wrote. “Protecting the homeland is our TOP priority. NO cartel terrorist stands a chance against the American military.”
The U.S. military has increased its presence across the Caribbean, deploying bombers, warships and Marines as part of an expanded campaign targeting drug-trafficking and so-called “narco-terrorist” networks operating near Venezuela.
The Trump administration has created a new counter-narcotics Joint Task Force operating near the U.S. Southern Command in an effort “to crush the cartels, stop the poison, and keep America safe.”
The task force will coordinate air, maritime and special-operations missions across the region — marking the largest U.S. military effort in the Caribbean in decades.
