Washington, DC [US], October 23 : The United States on Wednesday (local time) struck an alleged drug vessel, an eighth such attack by the US, on the Pacific side of South America, according to Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, as reported by CBS News.
This is the eighth such attack by the US on a suspected drug vessel since September 2; however, the last seven strikes were in the Caribbean, with an attack on the Pacific side being the first such in the area.
CBS News reported a Defence Department official saying that the vessel was in international waters off Colombia.
"Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel being operated by a Designated Terrorist Organisation and conducting narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific", Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said on X, while also sharing a video of the strike.
The vessel was suspected to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route, Hegseth mentioned.
"The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route, and carrying narcotics. There were two narco-terrorists aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters. Both terrorists were killed and no US forces were harmed in this strike", he mentioned.
Expressing the strict policy against smuggling of drugs, Secretary Hegseth accused the drug cartels of "waging a war" on the US border. He said that no US personnel were harmed in the strike.
"The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route, and carrying narcotics. There were two narco-terrorists aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters. Both terrorists were killed and no US forces were harmed in this strike", his post read.
CBS News mentioned that atleast 34 people have been killed in US strikes on alleged drug boats. The Trump administration has told Congress the US is in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels, arguing that the narcotics they smuggle kill tens of thousands of Americans every year, and this constitutes an "armed attack."
US President Donald Trump has also accused Colombian President Gustavo Petro of being an "illegal drug leader" and of actively encouraging massive drug production across the country. He announced that his administration is cutting off all subsidies to the Latin American country.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, "It has become the biggest business in Colombia, by far, and Petro does nothing to stop it, despite large-scale payments and subsidies from the USA that are nothing more than a long-term rip off of America." He added that, "As of today, these payments, or any other form of payment, or subsidies, will no longer be made to Columbia."
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