US strike on boat in Eastern Pacific 'involved in illicit narcotics smuggling' kills 3

ISTANBUL

A US military strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific killed three people suspected of narcotics smuggling, US Southern Command announced Sunday.

"On Nov. 15 (Saturday), at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization," the command said on the US social media company X’s platform, using a secondary title for the defense secretary.

US intelligence confirmed the vessel "was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics," according to the statement.

"Three male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed," the command said, adding the strike occurred in international waters.

The strike represents the latest US military action against suspected drug trafficking under the Trump administration's counter-narcotics campaign.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

US military operations against alleged drug trafficking in the Caribbean began in September with a strike on a Venezuelan speedboat, and the campaign expanded to include the Eastern Pacific by late October.

Since September, at least 21 attacks targeting drug traffickers have been carried out, resulting in 82 deaths.