US Pacific Drug Strikes Escalate as Narco-Terrorist Toll Hits 37

The United States military has intensified its campaign against drug trafficking networks. Two more vessels were struck in the eastern Pacific Ocean this week. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed the lethal kinetic strikes. He stated the actions were directed by President Donald Trump.

This aggressive pushback targets what officials label narco-terrorists. The latest operations bring the total number of such strikes to nine. The overall death toll has now climbed to 37 individuals.

Recent Strikes Target Narco-Trafficking Routes

A US military strike destroyed a vessel on Wednesday. Secretary Hegseth announced the action on social media platform X. He shared a video showing a boat exploding in flames through a camera’s reticle.

Three people on the vessel were killed. Hegseth identified them as narco-terrorists. No US forces were harmed in the operation.

According to Reuters, US intelligence indicated the boat was operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO). It was reportedly involved in illicit narcotics smuggling. The vessel was transiting a known narco-trafficking route.

A Sustained Campaign Against Cartels

This was the second strike in two days. US forces targeted another alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific on Tuesday. That earlier strike resulted in two fatalities.

The campaign began last month. Most of the nine confirmed strikes have occurred in the Caribbean Sea. The recent operations mark a geographic shift to the Pacific.

Secretary Hegseth frames this as a necessary war. He compares these cartels to Al Qaeda. The stated goal is to extinguish the threat to the American people.

The US military’s sustained offensive against drug vessels signals a major policy shift. These US Pacific drug strikes aim to cripple cartel operations at sea. The rising casualty figures underscore the campaign’s lethal intensity.

Thought you’d like to know-

Who authorized the US Pacific drug strikes?

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated the strikes were carried out on the direct directions of US President Donald Trump. The operations are part of a broader military-led pushback.

How many people have been killed in these strikes?

The total death toll from the nine US strikes on alleged drug vessels has now reached 37. This includes the three fatalities from the most recent operation on Wednesday.

Where are these military strikes happening?

While the majority of the earlier strikes occurred in the Caribbean Sea, the two most recent operations have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean, indicating a possible expansion of the campaign’s geographic focus.

What is the official reason for targeting these boats?

US officials claim intelligence shows the vessels are operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations and are involved in illicit narcotics smuggling along known trafficking routes.

Why does the US call them ‘narco-terrorists’?

Secretary Hegseth uses the term to equate drug cartels with terrorist groups like Al Qaeda, arguing they are waging war on the American homeland by bringing poison to its shores.