U.S. conducts 2 strikes on drug-smuggling vessels in the Eastern Pacific; 6 killed

The United States carried out two strikes on vessels allegedly operated by designated terrorist organizations in the Eastern Pacific, killing six people, according to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

“Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, two lethal kinetic strikes were conducted on two vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” Hegseth said in a statement. He added that the boats were linked to narcotics trafficking and were traveling along a known smuggling route.

Both strikes took place in international waters, with three men aboard each vessel, all of whom were killed. No U.S. personnel were injured, according to Hegseth.

Since September, U.S. forces have carried out at least 19 confirmed strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing 72 people, according to officials.

Several of those operations occurred near the Venezuelan coast, while others have been reported, but not officially confirmed, off the Pacific coasts of Mexico and Colombia.

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

These vessels were known by our intelligence to be associated with illicit narcotics smuggling, were carrying narcotics, and… pic.twitter.com/ocUoGzwwDO

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) November 10, 2025