U.S. Military Targets Alleged Drug-Trafficking Vessel
On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. military has once again engaged a suspected drug-trafficking ship in the Eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of two individuals tied to drug trafficking.
According to Hegseth, the military targeted a vessel associated with a known terrorist organization operating in international waters. The specific group mentioned, however, isn’t clear at the moment. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to brief the “Gang of Twelve” tomorrow regarding ongoing attacks on suspected narco-terrorists in the Caribbean.
Hegseth noted that no U.S. service members were harmed during this operation, which took place along recognized drug trafficking routes.
“We will locate and destroy any and all vessels smuggling drugs into the United States for the purpose of poisoning our people,” Hegseth stated in a post on X.
“Defending our homeland is our top priority. Cartel terrorists have no chance against the U.S. military,” he added.
This airstrike comes on the heels of a similar attack on Sunday targeting another alleged drug carrier in the Caribbean, which resulted in the deaths of three more individuals labeled as “narco-terrorists,” following several earlier attacks this month.
Congressional Democrats have criticized the operation, arguing that Congressional authorization is necessary for such military actions. Members of the House Armed Services Committee attended a confidential briefing on the incident last Thursday, but many left feeling unsatisfied with the explanations provided by defense officials.
Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), a former U.S. Army officer, expressed concerns after the briefing, saying, “Our job is to oversee the use of deadly force by our military outside the United States, but here we walk away without understanding how and why we make an assessment that the use of deadly force is appropriate.”
He went on to say, “What I heard today was a tactical brief. I didn’t hear any strategy or a clear plan on how we’re going to stop the flow of drugs into the U.S. That needs to happen.”
In contrast, White House officials maintain that they don’t need to justify their actions targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
“President Trump promised to fight cartels during his campaign and has taken unprecedented measures to combat the crisis of narco-terrorism that has led to the tragic deaths of innocent Americans,” stated administration representatives on Monday.
