U.S. Military Strikes Suspected Drug Boats in Eastern Pacific, Killing Five

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the U.S. military carried out two strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing five suspected drug traffickers—an expansion of the Trump administration’s use of armed forces in its counter-narcotics campaign.

Hegseth said the military hit a vessel on Tuesday, killing two people, marking the first known U.S. military operation in the Pacific since President Donald Trump launched his renewed offensive against the drug trade.

A few hours later, Hegseth announced that the military had struck a second vessel on Wednesday, killing three more people.

The Pacific operations follow at least seven similar attacks in the Caribbean, part of a broader campaign that has heightened tensions between the United States and both Venezuela and Colombia.

“Our intelligence indicated the vessel was involved in the illegal transport of narcotics,” Hegseth said, offering no supporting evidence. “It was moving through a known narco-trafficking corridor and carrying illegal drugs.”

He posted 30-second video clips of both strikes on X, showing boats speeding across the water before exploding.

In the Caribbean, at least 32 people have been killed in similar U.S. strikes, though the Trump administration has released few details—such as how much contraband was seized or what evidence confirmed the vessels were carrying drugs.

The Tuesday Pacific strike was first reported by CBS News.

Colombia and Ecuador React

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who has clashed with Trump over boat strikes and trade tariffs, condemned the latest action.
“In the Pacific, another boat was attacked—we don’t yet know whether it was Colombian or Ecuadorian—but people were killed,” Petro said. “This is murder. Whether in the Caribbean or the Pacific, the U.S. government’s strategy violates international law.”

Colombia’s foreign ministry separately urged the United States to halt such attacks.

By contrast, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, who has declared a war on gangs in his own country, voiced support for Trump’s anti-narcotics operations.

Trump Defends the Strikes

Asked about the strikes in the Oval Office, President Trump said his administration had the legal authority to act and insisted that “each strike has saved American lives.”

He also reiterated plans to launch ground strikes in Venezuela, a potential escalation. “We’ll probably go back to Congress and explain exactly what we’re doing when we go in on the ground,” Trump said. “We don’t have to—but I’d like to.”

Legal and Operational Questions

Legal experts have questioned why the U.S. military—not the Coast Guard, which typically leads maritime law enforcement—is conducting these operations, and why no attempt is being made to intercept the vessels before resorting to lethal force.

The Pacific strikes come amid a major U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, including a guided-missile destroyer, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine, and about 6,500 troops.

In August, the Coast Guard launched Operation Viper, aimed at disrupting drug routes in the Pacific. As of October 15, it reported seizing more than 100,000 pounds (45,000 kg) of cocaine.

It remains unclear why the administration chose to destroy the vessels outright rather than attempt a capture in this instance.

Last week, Reuters reported that two suspected traffickers survived a U.S. military strike in the Caribbean. They were rescued, transferred to a U.S. Navy warship, and later repatriated to Colombia and Ecuador.