1:32Secretary of War Pete Hegseth conveyed via his X account that the War Department executed a deadly kinetic assault on a watercraft utilized by a Known Terrorist Group and participating in narcotics distribution in the Eastern Pacific on Oct. 21, 2022. @SecWar/X
The American armed forces have implemented another aerial attack on an alleged drug syndicate vessel on Tuesday night, as stated by a pair of U.S. authorities, this time occurring in the Pacific.
This marks the eighth documented U.S. offensive against a suspected drug-carrying boat since the beginning of September.
There were no remaining individuals following Tuesday evening’s assault, with an estimated two to three fatalities among those aboard, according to the sources.
Tuesday night’s assault unfolded in the maritime region to the west of Central America, as per one of the officials. The other seven aerial assaults took aim at presumed drug syndicate boats in the Caribbean.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on his X account that the Department of War conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel being operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization and conducting narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific on Oct. 21, 2022.@SecWar/X
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on his X account that the Department of War conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel being operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization and conducting narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific on Oct. 21, 2022.@SecWar/X
It is presently considered that a minimum of 34 people have perished in these attacks undertaken by the U.S. military.
CBS News initially brought attention to this most recent aerial strike.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared footage of the strike on social media on Wednesday. Hegseth verified that the strike resulted in the deaths of two individuals and occurred in the Eastern Pacific, stating that no American troops were harmed in the operation.
"Narco-terrorists seeking to import poison into our country will discover nowhere safe within our region. Just as Al Qaeda initiated warfare on our nation, these cartels are initiating warfare on our border and our citizens. There will be no haven or absolution — solely justice," Hegseth posted on X.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listens as President Donald Trump speaks before a lunch with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Oct. 17, 2025, in Washington.Alex Brandon/AP
This employment of deadly military force is unprecedented and has instigated inquiries regarding its legality. Previous administrations depended on law enforcement agencies to obstruct narcotics shipments. The Trump administration’s stance was to defend the strikes as integral to what they termed a “war” against the cartels.
"They possess quicker boats. Certain boats are profoundly advanced, practically world-class speedboats — yet they lack the velocity of missiles," Trump commented last week.
Two individuals endured an American strike earlier this month on a semi-submersible watercraft in the Caribbean. Trump noted that the survivors were being repatriated to their countries of origin.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
