The Pentagon chief announced Wednesday that the U.S. military conducted another strike on a boat carrying individuals he asserts were narco-terrorists.
According to Hegseth, the strikes, which resulted in the deaths of four men on board, were executed in the Eastern Pacific region under the directive of President Donald Trump.
Hegseth posted on X that the military “carried out a lethal kinetic strike on yet another narco-trafficking vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) in the Eastern Pacific.”
He stated, “This vessel, like all the others, was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics.” He added, “Four male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel — and killed — during the strike, which was conducted in international waters. No U.S. forces were harmed in this strike.”
Hegseth further asserted, “The Western Hemisphere is no longer a safe haven for narco-terrorists bringing drugs to our shores to poison Americans.” He pledged, “The Department of War will continue to hunt them down and eliminate them wherever they operate.”
This marks the 14th strike on suspected drug vessels since September. A reported 61 individuals have been killed, with three survivors, at least two of whom were subsequently repatriated to their home countries.
The administration has declined to release the identities of those killed or provide evidence of drugs found on board.
The Trump administration has faced recent scrutiny over these strikes, including from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who raised concerns regarding killing individuals without due process and the potential for innocent casualties.
Paul has cited statistics from the Coast Guard indicating that a significant percentage of boats boarded for suspected drug trafficking are found to be innocent.
The senator has also argued that if the administration, regarding Venezuela, after it has targeted boats it claims are transporting drugs for the Venezuela-linked Tren de Aragua gang, it must seek a declaration of war from Congress.
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee also sent a letter Wednesday, demanding a review of the legal justification behind the series of boat strikes that they contend appear to violate several laws.
The letter states, “Drug trafficking is a terrible crime that has had devastating impacts on American families and communities and should be prosecuted. Nonetheless, the President’s actions to hold alleged drug traffickers accountable must still conform with the law.”