Washington, October 23 (Udaipur Kiran): The United States has intensified its crackdown on drug traffickers, killing three suspected narco-terrorists in a deadly strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Wednesday — the second such operation in as many days.
According to The New York Times, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared details of the operation on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the strike was carried out in international waters, where three men aboard the targeted ship were killed. Hegseth said the US would “hunt down and eliminate” anyone attempting to smuggle drugs into the country.
He added that this was the second consecutive day the Trump administration had authorized lethal strikes on drug-running vessels in the eastern Pacific region. “The campaign has now extended beyond the Caribbean Sea,” he said.
Launched in September under President Donald Trump’s directive, the ongoing anti-narcotics operation has reportedly neutralized 37 drug traffickers in nine encounters so far. The first such attack in the eastern Pacific took place near the Colombian coast, according to a US official.
Hegseth confirmed that two people were killed in a strike late Tuesday night, followed by three more deaths in Wednesday’s operation.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, President Trump indicated that future attacks could expand beyond maritime targets, suggesting that ground operations might be ordered soon. “These people are violent,” he said. “They use boats that move at 45 to 50 miles per hour. We’ll stop them wherever they are.”
The military campaign, initiated on September 2, began near Venezuela and has now reached Colombia. Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro faces US accusations of involvement in drug trafficking, with Trump’s team labeling him a “cartel leader.” Colombian President Gustavo Petro has claimed that several Colombians have been killed in these US-led strikes.
South America remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, with Colombia as a key source nation, flanked by coastlines on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
