US attacks another suspected drug cartel ship, expanding attacks to the Pacific

The US military carried out another airstrike against a suspected drug cartel ship on Tuesday night, according to two US officials, this time in the Pacific Ocean.

This is the eighth known US attack on a suspected drug trafficking ship since early September.

There were no survivors of Tuesday night’s attack and two or three people on board are believed to have died, according to officials.

Tuesday night’s attack occurred in waters west of Central America, according to one of the officials. The other seven airstrikes targeted vessels of suspected drug cartels in the Caribbean Sea.

At least 34 people are now believed to have been killed in these attacks carried out by the US military.

CBS News was the first to report on this latest airstrike.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted video of the attack on social media on Wednesday. Hegseth confirmed that the attack killed two people and took place in the Eastern Pacific. He wrote that no American forces were injured in the attack.

“Narcoterrorists trying to bring poison to our shores will find no safe haven anywhere in our hemisphere. Just as Al Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and on our people. There will be no refuge or forgiveness, only justice,” Hegseth posted on X.

The use of lethal military force is unprecedented and has raised legal questions. Previous administrations relied on law enforcement to intercept drug shipments. The Trump administration defended the attacks as part of what they said is a “war” against cartels.

“They have faster boats. Some of these boats are seriously, I mean, they’re world-class fast boats, but they’re not faster than missiles,” Trump said last week.

Two people survived a US attack earlier this month on a semi-submersible vessel in the Caribbean. Trump said survivors would be sent back to their home countries.