US forces have killed 14 people in strikes on four alleged drug boats in the Pacific, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says.
He mentioned that one survivor was rescued by Mexican search and rescue personnel.
This latest operation is part of an ongoing campaign against boats the US claims are involved in drug trafficking routes through the Pacific and Caribbean.
These strikes, which occurred at the direction of President Donald Trump, are part of what the US describes as an intensified effort to target drug traffickers.
To date, at least 51 individuals have lost their lives in various strikes, which have led to heightened tensions between the US and the governments of Colombia and Venezuela.
While most operations have taken place off South America’s coast in the Caribbean, some operations have also extended to the Pacific Ocean.
The US strikes have faced condemnation across the region, with experts questioning their legality. Both Democratic and Republican members of Congress have raised concerns about the authority under which these strikes are authorized.
Hegseth stated that the vessels targeted on Monday were being tracked by US intelligence as they navigated known narco-trafficking routes.
In the initial strike, eight individuals labeled as 'narco-terrorists' were reportedly killed, with two subsequent strikes resulting in four and three deaths respectively.
Authorities in Mexico accepted responsibility for coordinating the rescue of the survivor from the strikes, though details regarding his condition or whereabouts remain unclear.
The department has spent over two decades defending other homelands, Hegseth stated. Now, we're defending our own.
