The United States carried out a series of new attacks against vessels allegedly carrying drugs in the Eastern Pacific, leaving 14 suspected drug traffickers dead and one survivor, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reported Tuesday.
Hegseth said Mexican authorities took custody of the sole survivor of the three attacks, which took place on Monday.
“The Department of Defense conducted three lethal kinetic strikes against four vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTOs) trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific,” the U.S. official stated on his Twitter account.
The U.S. Secretary specified that the four vessels targeted were located following intelligence work because they were traveling along known drug trafficking routes.
Furthermore, eight suspected drug traffickers were aboard during the first attack; four during the second; and three during the third.
All the attacks took place in international waters, and no U.S. forces were injured.
Regarding the survivor, Hegseth indicated that U.S. Southern Command initiated Search and Rescue protocols, and Mexican authorities accepted the case and assumed responsibility for coordinating the rescue.
The United States reiterated that it will continue to combat drug traffickers seeking to enter its territory.
“These narco-terrorists have killed more Americans than al-Qaeda, and they will receive the same treatment. We will track them, connect them to networks, and then hunt them down and eliminate them,” he stated.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has intensified the “war” against drug cartels through various attacks on vessels and individuals it labels as “narco-terrorists.”
The vessels attacked are located primarily in Pacific waters and originate from countries such as Venezuela and Colombia, carrying members of criminal organizations like the Tren de Aragua.
This comes in addition to the $50 million reward offered for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom the US accuses of being one of the leaders of the Cartel of the Suns, a criminal group operating in Venezuela and allegedly involving members of the armed forces.
Source: radioformula
