US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has confirmed that American forces have conducted two further deadly strikes on vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking, resulting in six fatalities.
Details of the Lethal Operations
According to Hegseth, the incidents occurred in the eastern Pacific, in international waters. He stated that both strikes were 'lethal kinetic' actions authorised directly by President Trump.
In a post on the social media platform X, the Defence Secretary elaborated, claiming that three male 'narco-terrorists' were aboard each vessel and that all six individuals were killed. He emphasised that no US forces were harmed during the operations.
Justification and Scrutiny
Hegseth defended the actions, stating the targeted boats were 'known by our intelligence to be associated with illicit narcotics smuggling'. He added that the vessels were reportedly carrying narcotics and were on a known transit route used by traffickers.
However, the Washington administration has faced criticism for not presenting public evidence to substantiate these claims. The lack of disclosed proof has led some experts to question the legality of the strikes, with some labelling them as extrajudicial killings.
This controversial strategy of targeting alleged drug boats began in early September, with US forces previously taking aim at vessels in both the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific.
