Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the attack occurred in international waters in the eastern Pacific and targeted a vessel on a known trafficking route.
- Hegseth described the dead as “narco‑terrorists” and cited classified intelligence, which has not been independently verified.
- Video released on X shows an apparent airstrike resulting in an explosion and a burning boat, though the location and details cannot be independently confirmed.
- The strike is the latest in a U.S. campaign that began in September against alleged smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, with U.S. figures citing at least 67 deaths.
- UN human rights experts and several Latin American governments say the actions violate international law, and media reports note the Pentagon has not provided public evidence the targeted boats carried narcotics; some reports state President Donald Trump ordered the latest strike, a claim not independently verified.