Washington: The U.S. military conducted targeted strikes on two vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean earlier this week, killing five individuals believed to be involved in drug trafficking operations. The attacks represent an escalation of the Trump administration’s aggressive counter-narcotics strategy, which increasingly relies on military force rather than traditional law enforcement interventions.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the operations, stating that the first strike took place on Tuesday after intelligence identified a vessel actively engaged in smuggling illicit narcotics along established trafficking routes. A second strike occurred on Wednesday, targeting another vessel with similar suspected connections to international drug networks. The strikes were documented through videos posted by Hegseth on X (formerly Twitter), showing the vessels moments before they were destroyed.
These actions build upon a series of at least seven previous U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean region, aimed at disrupting the operations of transnational narcoterrorist groups. While U.S. officials frame the campaign as a necessary measure to stem the flow of illegal drugs, critics have expressed concern over the legality and transparency of the strikes. Questions have been raised about the sufficiency of evidence justifying the use of lethal force and whether military intervention is an appropriate substitute for law enforcement methods in such cases.
The Trump administration has described these operations as part of a “non-international armed conflict” with narcoterrorist organizations, arguing that decisive military action is essential to combat the escalating drug threat. Nevertheless, international legal experts caution that the strikes may contravene established international law, particularly regarding extrajudicial killings and the use of military force in international waters, outside any formal declaration of war.
The strikes have also drawn attention from the global community, highlighting tensions between counter-narcotics objectives and adherence to international norms. As the U.S. pursues a more militarized approach to drug interdiction, questions persist regarding the long-term efficacy and ethical implications of such actions in the Pacific and beyond. The incident underscores the growing complexity of addressing transnational drug trafficking while balancing legal obligations, diplomatic relations, and security interests on the global stage.