Washington, Nov 11: The United States military carried out two targeted strikes on boats allegedly transporting narcotics in international waters of the eastern Pacific on Sunday, killing all six people on board, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday.
“Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, two lethal kinetic strikes were conducted on vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” Hegseth said in a social media post. “Both strikes were carried out in international waters, and three male narco-terrorists were aboard each vessel. All six were killed. No US forces were harmed.”
According to Pentagon data, at least 75 people have been killed in similar US military operations across the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since September 2. The Trump administration has ramped up its naval and air presence in the region reportedly the largest US military buildup in the Caribbean in more than three decades. The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is expected to arrive in the area by mid-November.
The continuing strikes and growing US military footprint have drawn criticism and speculation about Washington’s motives. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the attacks as attempts to “overthrow his government and expand US military influence in Latin America.” Colombian President Gustavo Petro went further, accusing Washington of “murder” over the killings at sea.
Earlier this month, President Trump said he had not yet decided whether the United States would conduct ground strikes inside Venezuela, dismissing reports suggesting imminent military action against Venezuelan targets.