Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed that a lethal strike against alleged narco-traffickers was carried out on Tuesday night, making it the eighth attack in the federal government’s ongoing conflict with drug cartels.
This attack took place in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, a contrast from the previous seven operations that took place in the Caribbean.
In a post on X, Hegseth said a “Designated Terrorist Organization” managed the vessel and likened them to the terrorists that carried out 9/11.
“Narco-terrorists intending to bring poison to our shores, will find no safe harbor anywhere in our hemisphere,” he said. “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.”
He also added that the two people who were on board the vessel were killed in the strike.
The death toll since the Trump administration has gone after alleged narco-terrorists in international waters is at least 34, according to Fox News.
Earlier this week, Hegseth confirmed another strike that killed three alleged narco-terrorists associated with Colombia’s National Liberation Army.
He again likened the alleged terrorists to Al Qaeda.
“These cartels are the Al Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere, using violence, murder and terrorism to impose their will, threaten our national security and poison our people,” he said. “The United States military will treat these organizations like the terrorists they are — they will be hunted, and killed, just like Al Qaeda.”
On Oct. 14, Trump posted on Truth Social that it was his “great honor to destroy a very large DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE that was navigating towards the United States on a well known narcotrafficking transit route.”
That U.S. military attack was the first time there were survivors among the crew. The survivors were detained and transported to their countries of origin — Colombia and Ecuador — for prosecution.
“Under my watch, the United States of America will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea,” Trump added.