US military forces have struck four vessels in the Pacific Ocean suspected of carrying illegal drugs, killing 14 people, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed.
The attacks, carried out on Monday under orders from President Donald Trump, are part of a broader campaign the US says is aimed at preventing narcotics from reaching American shores.
Mexican naval authorities are continuing to search for a lone survivor, roughly 400 miles from Acapulco.
One individual was rescued by Mexican search-and-rescue teams, though their condition has not been disclosed. Mexico’s navy said it deployed a patrol boat and aircraft to conduct the search, emphasizing the effort to “safeguard human life at sea.”
Hegseth defended the operations, stating on social media that the vessels “were known by our intelligence apparatus, transitioning along known narco-trafficking routes and carrying narcotics.”
He said the first strike killed eight “narco-terrorists,” followed by four and three in the next two attacks. Videos posted by the Defence Department show the vessels engulfed in flames after being hit. “The department has spent over two decades defending other homelands. Now, we're defending our own,” Hegseth added.
The strikes have drawn sharp criticism in the region, with many questioning their legality. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said at a press conference, “we do not agree with these attacks.” She added that the country’s foreign minister and naval officials had been directed to meet the US ambassador, insisting, “We want all international treaties to be respected.”
At least 57 people have now been killed in similar operations, increasing tensions with Colombia and Venezuela. While most earlier strikes were in the Caribbean, the US has recently intensified operations in the Pacific, a major corridor for drug trafficking.
President Trump maintains that he has the legal authority to target vessels in international waters, but indicated last week he might seek Congressional approval for strikes on land-based targets. He has also stated he is “totally prepared” to hit such targets, a move that could significantly escalate the campaign.
International law experts have raised concerns. Mary Ellen O’Connell of Notre Dame University said, “The criminal suspects are entitled to due process. It is a greater crime to summarily execute people suspected of drug trafficking than drug trafficking is.” Colombian Deputy Foreign Minister Mauricio Jaramillo criticized the attacks as “disproportionate and outside international law,” adding the individuals on the vessels had “no possibility to defend themselves” and were struck with “no process” and “no judicial order.”
The strikes come amid growing US tensions with Colombia and Venezuela. Washington has sanctioned Colombian President Gustavo Petro, accusing him of failing to curb drug cartels.
In the Caribbean, the US has deployed troops, aircraft, and naval vessels, including the USS Gerald R Ford. Venezuelan officials have accused the US of seeking to seize the country’s resources, including oil, gold, and copper, while Trump has described President Nicolas Maduro as leading a drug-trafficking organization, a claim Maduro denies.
