The U.S. military carried out two more airstrikes on suspected drug trafficking boats in the eastern Pacific, killing six people, according to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth said both boats were “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” and were carrying narcotics along a known trafficking route. He did not identify the group. He added that no U.S. personnel were harmed during the operation.
“Under President Trump, we are protecting the homeland and killing these cartel terrorists who wish to harm our country and its people,” Hegseth said.
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
The latest strikes bring the total number of attacks on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific to 20 since September, with at least 76 people reported killed.
As with previous strikes, Washington has yet to release any evidence that its targets were smuggling narcotics or posed a threat to the U.S.
In an October notice to Congress, the Trump administration said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with Latin American drug cartels, describing them as terrorist groups and citing this as justification for the strikes.
Meanwhile, the United Nations on Monday urged Washington to halt the strikes, with UN rights chief Volker Turk saying there are “strong indications” they violate international human rights law.
“I have called for investigations by the U.S. administration first and foremost, because they need to… ask themselves the question: are these violations of international human rights law? Are they extrajudicial killings?” Turk told AFP in an interview.
The U.S. strikes on alleged drug traffickers have coincided with a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean. In addition to six Navy ships already in the region, the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group is expected to arrive in the coming days.
We have fought the drug wars for decades now, and they continue to flow into our country. I fully support this type of action, regardless of politics.