According to Pete Hegseth, a Pentagon official, the U.S. military carried out a strike on another boat on Wednesday, which he alleges was transporting narco-terrorists.
Hegseth stated that the strikes, which resulted in the deaths of four individuals on board, were authorized by President Donald Trump and occurred in the Eastern Pacific.
Hegseth posted on X that the military “executed a lethal kinetic strike on yet another narco-trafficking vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) in the Eastern Pacific.”
He added, “Our intelligence indicated that this vessel, like the others, was involved in illegal narcotics smuggling, was traveling along a known drug-trafficking route, and was carrying narcotics. During the strike, which took place in international waters, four male narco-terrorists were killed. No U.S. forces sustained injuries in this strike.”
US STRIKES ANOTHER ALLEGED DRUG-TRAFFICKING BOAT NEAR VENEZUELA, KILLING 4
Hegseth continued, “The Western Hemisphere is no longer a safe zone for narco-terrorists who bring drugs to our shores to harm Americans. The Department of War will relentlessly pursue and eliminate them wherever they operate.”
This marks the 14th strike on vessels suspected of drug trafficking since September. Reportedly, 61 people have been killed, while three have survived, with at least two being returned to their countries of origin.
The Pentagon has declined to disclose the identities of those killed or any evidence of drugs found on board.
US DEPLOYS FORD CARRIER STRIKE GROUP TO COMBAT NARCO-TERROR IN WESTERN HEMISPHERE
The Trump administration has faced criticism in recent weeks regarding the strikes, including from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who voiced concerns about the lack of due process in the killings and the possibility of harming innocent individuals.
Paul referenced Coast Guard data showing a significant proportion of boats stopped on suspicion of drug trafficking are found to be innocent.
The senator has also argued that if the administration intends to engage in a war with Venezuela by targeting boats allegedly transporting drugs for the Venezuela-linked Tren de Aragua gang, it must first obtain a declaration of war from Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats also sent a letter on Wednesday requesting a review of the legal basis for the series of boat strikes, which they believe may violate several laws.
The letter stated, “Drug trafficking is a serious crime with devastating consequences for American families and communities, and it should be prosecuted. However, the President’s efforts to hold alleged drug traffickers accountable must still comply with the law.”
