3 hours ago
Last Updated:November 05, 2025, 09:34 IST
The US initiated its strikes on alleged drug boats in early September, resulting in 67 deaths in the Caribbean and Pacific.
US conducted a strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Tuesday. (Image: X)
The United States carried out a strike on a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, resulting in two deaths, according to defense secretary Pete Hegseth.
This recent strike marks the 16th in the Trump administration’s campaign to curb drug trafficking in South American waters, bringing the death toll to at least 66, as reported by the AP news agency.
Hegseth posted a video on the social media platform X showing a boat engulfed in flames following the strike. He stated that intelligence had confirmed the vessel was “involved in illicit narcotics smuggling" and was “transiting along a known narco-trafficking route…carrying narcotics."
Hegseth emphasised that the Trump administration’s priority was homeland protection. “We will find and terminate EVERY vessel with the intention of trafficking drugs to America to poison our citizens," he asserted.
Today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO).Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known… pic.twitter.com/OsQuHrYLMp
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) November 5, 2025
According to AFP news agency, the US initiated its strikes on alleged drug boats in early September, resulting in 67 deaths in the Caribbean and Pacific. To date, 17 vessels have been destroyed in these strikes, including 16 boats and a submersible.
However, the US has yet to provide evidence indicating that these vessels were involved in narcotics smuggling or posed a threat to America.
The drug interdiction operation has also led to a significant US military buildup around Latin America, AFP reported.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, facing US drug charges, accused Washington of using this campaign as a pretext for “imposing regime change" in Caracas to seize Venezuela’s oil. Maduro insists there is no drug cultivation in Venezuela, claiming the country is being used as a trafficking route for Colombian cocaine against its will, AFP reported.
In a notice to Congress, the Trump administration stated that the US is engaged in “armed conflict" with Latin American drug cartels, referring to them as terrorist groups.
The US has deployed various warships, including F-35 stealth warplanes and the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier strike group, in the region.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed a willingness to mediate between the two countries, and on Tuesday, he hoped there would be no US ground incursion into Venezuela.
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...
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Location :
United States of America (USA)
First Published:
November 05, 2025, 09:34 IST
News world 2 Killed In Trump Administration's 'Lethal Kinetic Strike' On Drug Vessel In Eastern Pacific | Video
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