1:19The U.S. has carried out strikes against four more alleged drug vessels in the Eastern Pacific, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Oct. 28, 2025, killing 14 people.@SecWar/X
The U.S. executed attacks on an additional four suspected narcotics vessels in the Eastern Pacific, according to a statement from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, resulting in 14 fatalities.
"Yesterday, under the instruction of President Trump, the Department of War initiated three deadly kinetic operations on a quartet of vessels managed by Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTO) engaged in narcotics trafficking within the Eastern Pacific," Hegseth communicated on X, accompanied by a video depiction of the operations.
This recent undertaking elevates the overall count of presumed casualties to a minimum of 57 individuals.
The U.S. has carried out strikes against four more alleged drug vessels in the Eastern Pacific, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Oct. 28, 2025, killing 14 people.@SecWar/X
The U.S. has carried out strikes against four more alleged drug vessels in the Eastern Pacific, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Oct. 28, 2025, killing 14 people.@SecWar/X
As per Hegseth, a lone individual survived from Monday's sequence of strikes.
"In reference to the survivor, USSOUTHCOM promptly commenced Search and Rescue (SAR) conventional procedures; Mexican SAR authorities acknowledged the matter and took charge of coordinating the rescue operation," he expressed on X, although it remains uncertain if the person has been saved.
This marks the second instance of a survivor emerging from such an assault. Two survivors originating from a prior incident in the Caribbean Sea were returned to their respective native countries of Colombia and Ecuador.
The U.S. has carried out strikes against four more alleged drug vessels in the Eastern Pacific, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Oct. 28, 2025, killing 14 people.@SecWar/X
These offensives constitute a segment of what the administration has characterized as its "battle" against drug cartels. Since early September, the U.S. military has now impacted 10 suspected drug-carrying boats spanning the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. However, the application of lethal force has spurred multiple legal inquiries.
"The Department has dedicated more than TWO DECADES to safeguarding foreign territories. Now, we are protecting our own. These narco-terrorists have claimed more American lives than Al-Qaeda, and they will face commensurate treatment. We will monitor them, map their networks, and subsequently, pursue and neutralize them," Hegseth conveyed in his post on Tuesday concerning the most recent strikes.
Apart from the strikes, the U.S. issued orders the previous week for the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, inclusive of its aerial assets, to position themselves in the maritime vicinity of Central and South America — an action crafted to intensify strain on the Venezuelan administration. President Trump has also hinted at prospective ground operations targeting Venezuela.
ABC News' Anne Flaherty furnished contributions to this compilation.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
