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U.S. forces carried out a military strike Tuesday in the Eastern Pacific against a vessel suspected of drug trafficking, killing two people described by a Defense Department official as “narco-terrorists,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said.
“Today, at the direction of President [Donald] Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO),” Hegseth posted on X.
“Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics,” he said.
Hegseth said the strike occurred in international waters after intelligence indicated the vessel was traveling along a known narco-trafficking route and was carrying a shipment of narcotics. He said no U.S. personnel were harmed.
The White House and Pentagon have faced questions about the legal basis for the operations, which U.S. officials say are aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks tied to the Venezuelan government. Administration officials have argued the U.S. is engaged in an “armed conflict” with cartels linked to the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This claim has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and legal experts.
U.S. operations targeting drug-smuggling vessels in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean have resulted in 67 deaths and the destruction of 17 boats across 16 strikes. The Defense Department has not independently confirmed that figure.
Department of War policy officials met last week with the House Armed Services Committee to respond to bipartisan requests for additional legal justification for the strikes. The debate centers on whether the actions constitute hostilities that would require congressional consultation under the War Powers Resolution.
Hegseth defended the operations in his post, saying in part, “We will find and terminate EVERY vessel with the intention of trafficking drugs to America to poison our citizens.” He added, “Protecting the homeland is our TOP priority. NO cartel terrorist stands a chance against the American military.”
The operations mark an expansion of U.S. efforts to combat international drug trafficking by using military force at sea, raising questions about the scope of presidential authority and the long-term strategy for countering the flow of narcotics.
