The U.S. military has launched another strike on a vessel thought to be involved in drug trafficking, this time in the eastern Pacific. Army Secretary Pete Hegseth shared the details of the attack on Wednesday.
This most recent operation marks the eighth carried out during the Trump administration, with all prior strikes occurring in the Caribbean.
“Yesterday, following President Trump’s orders, the Army executed a lethal strike against a ship operated by a designated terrorist organization involved in drug trafficking,” Hegseth stated. He explained that this vessel was engaged in illicit drug smuggling and was known to be traveling along established drug routes.
During the incident, two narco-terrorists were on board in international waters, and both were confirmed dead. Fortunately, there were no casualties among U.S. forces.
Earlier, Hegseth had discussed another attack that killed three suspected narco-terrorists aboard a boat associated with Colombia’s National Liberation Army, which occurred on October 17, 2025. This strike was also executed in international waters under Trump’s directive.
Hegseth noted that the vessel was implicated in significant narcotics transport. He confirmed all three individuals aboard were killed in the operation, again without any risk to U.S. personnel.
Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) has been designated a terrorist organization. Hegseth compared the group to al-Qaeda, emphasizing the threat they pose.
Since the beginning of these military operations against suspected drug-smuggling vessels, at least 33 individuals have lost their lives. This initiative is part of Trump’s broader efforts to dismantle multinational drug cartels.
Just last week, a major attack targeted what Trump described as a “large drug-carrying submarine” in the Caribbean, resulting in two suspects killed and two captured.
A separate strike on Tuesday resulted in six suspected smugglers being killed off the Venezuelan coast.
This is an evolving situation, and updates are expected.
