US Military Strikes Alleged Drug Vessels in Pacific

The US has carried out a strike on a vessel alleged to be carrying drugs in the Pacific Ocean, killing two people. This is the second such strike in the region in a short span of time, with the US claiming it is part of an escalating campaign against seaborne drug smuggling. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that three people were killed in the strike, with no US forces harmed. The strikes mark the eighth and ninth US strikes against suspected drug boats since September 2, with most attacks occurring in the Caribbean Sea. President Donald Trump has stated that he has the legal authority to continue bombing boats in international waters and may seek Congressional approval if he decides to expand targets on land. The strikes have resulted in at least 34 deaths, with two survivors being repatriated to Colombia and Ecuador. The US has justified the strikes as counter-narcotics measures necessary to fight drug-trafficking organisations, several of which have been designated as terrorist organisations.

The article reports on the death of Alejandro Carranza, a Colombian fisherman killed in a US military strike on a boat allegedly carrying narcotics. The strike was part of a series of operations by the US against alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean. Carranza's family and Colombian President Gustavo Petro deny that he was involved in drug trafficking, claiming he was on a fishing trip. The incident has sparked a diplomatic row between the US and Colombia, with Petro condemning the strike as a violation of Colombian sovereignty and US President Donald Trump responding by labeling Petro an 'illegal drug leader' and threatening to cut off US aid to Colombia.

The article tells the story of Andrés Fernando Tufiño Chila, an Ecuadorian fisherman who survived a US military strike on a boat in the Caribbean. Despite having a criminal record for drug smuggling, Chila's family claims he was a fisherman caught in the crossfire of the Trump administration's war on drugs. The article explores the complexities of the drug trade in Ecuador and the impact of US military actions on local communities.

Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro has claimed that the country possesses 'thousands' of Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles, amid rising tensions with the US. Maduro stated that Venezuela has 5,000 Igla-S missiles in 'key air defense positions', which can shoot down small aerial targets. The US has deployed 4,500 Marines and sailors to the Caribbean to strengthen operations against cartels and demonstrate military power. US President Donald Trump has said he is weighing military action inside Venezuela as part of a counter-drug trafficking campaign. Maduro has responded by repositioning troops and mobilizing 'millions' of militia members.

The US military conducted a drone strike in the Eastern Pacific on October 22, 2025, killing three suspected narco-terrorists on a vessel linked to a designated terrorist organization. The strike was ordered by President Donald Trump as part of the administration's escalating crackdown on drug networks. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth announced the strike, stating that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling and was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route. This was the ninth vessel strike since September and the second in the Eastern Pacific, with a total of 37 people killed and two repatriated to their home countries. The Trump administration has faced scrutiny over the strikes, with concerns raised about killing people without due process and the possibility of killing innocent people.

The US military carried out a strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two alleged narco-terrorists, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced. This was the eighth strike conducted by the Trump administration, with previous strikes happening in the Caribbean. The vessel was allegedly carrying drugs and was operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization. The strike was part of the Trump administration's broader effort to dismantle transnational cartels by force.

The US has conducted its eighth strike against an alleged drug vessel, this time in the Pacific, killing two 'narco-terrorists'. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the 'lethal kinetic' strike on social media, likening the alleged drug traffickers to Al Qaeda, the group behind the September 11 attacks. The strike is part of a US military build-up in the region amid tensions with Venezuela, which the US accuses of narcoterrorism. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has denied any connection to drug smuggling and called the boat strikes a pretext for regime change.

The US military has conducted strikes on two alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Pacific, killing five people, as part of its ongoing campaign against drug trafficking. This marks a departure from previous strikes, which have occurred in the Caribbean. The strikes have been justified by the Trump administration as part of a 'non-international armed conflict' with designated terrorist organizations, including the Tren de Aragua cartel. However, legal experts have questioned the administration's legal theory, and the strikes have prompted widespread condemnation from civil liberties groups and South American countries. The CIA is reportedly providing the bulk of the intelligence used to carry out the strikes, and much of the evidence used to select targets will likely remain secret.