Hegseth says US military conducted two strikes on alleged drug boats in Eastern Pacific, killing 6

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the U.S. military on Sunday conducted two strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Eastern Pacific, killing six narco-terrorists.

"Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, two lethal kinetic strikes were conducted on two vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations," Hegseth posted on X on Monday.

"These vessels were known by our intelligence to be associated with illicit narcotics smuggling, were carrying narcotics, and were transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route in the Eastern Pacific. Both strikes were conducted in international waters and 3 male narco-terrorists were aboard each vessel. All 6 were killed. No U.S. forces were harmed. Under President Trump, we are protecting the homeland and killing these cartel terrorists who wish to harm our country and its people."

There have been at least 19 strikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific since September, killing a minimum of 76 people, The Hill news outlet reported.