In a notable step beyond the Caribbean, the U.S. military carried out a strike this week against a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean. According to Pete Hegseth, the country’s Defence Secretary, the operation — the eighth such mission since September 2025 — killed two individuals aboard the vessel.
Video released by the Pentagon shows a small craft loaded with packages exploding after being hit. The decision underscores the expansion of the U.S. campaign to combat narcotics trafficking beyond the Caribbean Sea and into the Pacific corridor.
While officials say the strike targeted a vessel associated with a “designated terrorist organisation” involved in drug-smuggling, critics question the legal justification and transparency of the operation. Some international partners have also raised concerns about sovereignty and risk to civilians.
For now, the U.S. remains firm: the message is clear. Traffickers operating near U.S. shores — or in shifting regions like the Pacific — won’t find safe harbour. The broader implications for regional navies and anti-smuggling efforts are still unfolding.
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