U.S. Strikes on Suspected Drug Boats Kill 14 in Eastern Pacific

U.S. Strikes on Suspected Drug Boats Kill 14 in Eastern Pacific
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Fourteen suspected drug traffickers were killed and one person survived after a series of U.S. military strikes targeted alleged narcotics vessels in the eastern Pacific, Reuters reported. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes, conducted on Monday, were part of President Donald Trump’s intensified counter-drug campaign. Mexican authorities have taken over the search and rescue operation for the survivor.

According to Hegseth, the targeted vessels were operating along known narcotics routes and were identified by U.S. intelligence. He posted a video on social media showing explosions at sea, though no evidence of the vessels’ cargo has been released. Mexico’s Navy confirmed receiving a request from the U.S. Coast Guard and deployed aircraft and ships about 400 miles southwest of Acapulco to assist in rescue efforts.

The Pacific operation follows at least ten similar U.S. strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific since early September. The campaign has heightened tensions with Venezuela and Colombia, as Washington accuses Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of drug trafficking — a charge he denies.

Legal experts and some U.S. lawmakers have raised concerns over the legality of the strikes, questioning why the military, rather than the Coast Guard, conducted the missions and whether non-lethal alternatives were considered before using force.