US Military Escalates Strikes on Drug Boats in Pacific

The US military has executed three targeted strikes on boats reportedly transporting drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean. This action, announced by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, resulted in the death of 14 individuals with one lone survivor, highlighting a significant uptick in operations against drug trafficking in South American waters.

The incidents, carried out off the coast of Colombia, underscore the US military's aggressive stance in curbing narcotics flow. After the operations, Mexican search and rescue teams assumed responsibility for the lone survivor, though the outcome remains undisclosed.

Hegseth likened the campaign against drug cartels to the war on terrorism, a position backed by President Trump, who labeled drug cartels as unlawful combatants. This narrative, despite lacking concrete evidence regarding the boats' connections to cartels, is bolstered by the administration's assertion of an ongoing armed conflict.