Escalating U.S. Naval Strikes Amid Pacific Drug Trafficking Campaign

Tue Oct 28 2025 14:54:27 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a recent escalation of anti-drug efforts, U.S. forces executed a second airstrike against suspected drug boats in the Pacific, claiming three lives amid international scrutiny.

U.S. forces have launched a second airstrike targeting alleged drug boats in the Pacific Ocean, resulting in three fatalities. This follows an earlier strike in the same area that killed two. The Colombian government condemned the attacks, deeming them unlawful and disproportionately violent. U.S. officials maintain that these operations are critical in combating narco-trafficking, especially as the Pacific is a major route for cocaine transport to the U.S. Despite ongoing criticism, the strikes are seen as part of a broader strategy to exert military pressure on Venezuela's government.

U.S. forces have struck a second vessel alleged to be carrying drugs in the Pacific Ocean, amid an escalating U.S. campaign against seaborne drug smuggling.

Three people were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in the strike on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. It came hours after the U.S. struck another boat in the Pacific, killing two people.

Colombia's government has denounced the U.S. for carrying out strikes on vessels close to its coast, saying the American action was 'like applying the death penalty in a territory that is not yours.'

Wednesday's strikes were the first in Pacific waters, as most previous attacks were in the Caribbean.

'These strikes will continue, day after day. These are not simply drug runners - these are narco-terrorists bringing death and destruction to our cities,' Hegseth posted on X.

The post was accompanied by a video that appears to show a boat catching fire after being struck by a U.S. bomb. Floating items are then seen in the water, before they appear to be targeted by a second air strike.

The Colombian deputy foreign minister, Mauricio Jaramillo, said the strikes were 'disproportionate and outside international law.' He added that there was 'no process, no judicial order' and urged the U.S. to instead cooperate with Colombia in the fight against drug trafficking.

U.S. President Trump has claimed legal authority to continue bombing boats in international waters but mentioned the possibility of consulting Congress if targeting extends to land operations.

The expansion of these strikes into the Pacific Ocean is significant; this region is a greater drug trafficking route than the Caribbean. Nevertheless, these strikes raise concerns that military pressure is being exerted on the Venezuelan government, despite ongoing denials from President Maduro that he is involved in drug trafficking.

At least 37 people have died in the U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats, including a recent strike on a semi-submersible vessel in the Caribbean. Two survivors from prior attacks have been returned to Colombia and Ecuador; the latter government has confirmed the innocence of one survivor.

Approximately 10,000 U.S. troops, along with military aircraft and ships, are deployed in this ongoing operation aimed at curbing drug trafficking activities.