The United States military has carried out a targeted strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing four men on board, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed on Wednesday.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), Hegseth said intelligence reports had identified the vessel as part of a network involved in illicit narcotics trafficking. The craft was reportedly travelling along a known drug-smuggling route when it was intercepted.
“This vessel, like all the others, was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics,” Hegseth wrote.
The post included a 22-second video showing a small boat on open waters moments before it was hit by a strike and engulfed in a fiery explosion.
The Eastern Pacific corridor, stretching from South America’s west coast toward Central America, is a major trafficking route for cocaine and other narcotics bound for North America. The US military, often working in collaboration with the Coast Guard and regional partners, has intensified surveillance and interdiction efforts in the area.
The Pentagon has yet to release further details regarding the operation, including whether any narcotics were recovered from the wreckage.
Melissa Enoch
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