The U.S. military carried out another lethal missile strike on a drug-smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Tuesday, killing two alleged traffickers on board, according to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth said the vessel was operated by a designated terrorist organization and that two “male narcoterrorists” were killed in the operation.
He confirmed that no U.S. personnel were harmed during the strike.
“Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics,” Hegseth stated on X.
“We will find and terminate EVERY vessel with the intention of trafficking drugs to America to poison our citizens.
“Protecting the homeland is our TOP priority,” he added.
The strike marks the 16th U.S. military operation since September targeting suspected drug-smuggling vessels bound for the United States.
U.S.-Venezuela Tensions Escalate Over Maritime Operations
The operation comes amid rising tensions between the United States and Venezuela, as U.S. forces expand their counter-narcotics presence in the Caribbean.
Venezuelan officials have condemned the strikes as provocative and a violation of sovereignty.
During a CBS “60 Minutes” interview aired on Nov. 2, President Donald Trump downplayed the likelihood of a broader conflict with Venezuela, while defending the U.S. military’s increased regional activity.
“I doubt it. I don’t think so,” Trump said when asked whether the U.S. could go to war with Venezuela.
“But they’ve been treating us very badly, not only on drugs.
“They’ve dumped hundreds of thousands of people into our country that we didn’t want.”
Trump said the heightened operations were aimed at combating illegal migration and drug trafficking from Venezuela.
When asked whether Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s days in power were numbered, Trump replied:
“I would say yeah. I think so, yeah.”
The president has repeatedly accused Maduro’s socialist regime of collaborating with drug cartels and facilitating transnational trafficking networks, allegations Maduro denies.
U.S. Expands Military Presence in the Caribbean
On Oct. 24, the Pentagon announced it was deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, to the Southern Command area of responsibility, which covers Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, as part of ongoing counter-narcotics missions.
The move followed the deployment of the guided missile destroyer USS Gravely to Trinidad and Tobago last month for joint exercises.
The Venezuelan government responded by suspending its energy cooperation with Trinidad and accusing the U.S. and the CIA of staging a “false flag” operation in the waters between the two nations.
Caracas described the joint drills as a “military provocation” and claimed they were part of a coordinated effort to justify potential U.S. intervention in the region.
The Pentagon has not released footage or additional operational details about the November 4 strike but said further actions will continue “as necessary” to disrupt narco-terror networks and protect American borders from illicit drug trafficking.
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