Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday a new wave of attacks against alleged drug-trafficking vessels, claiming 14 people were killed and one survived.
Hegseth said in a social media post that the attacks took place on Monday "at the direction of President Trump." "The Department of War carried out three lethal kinetic strikes on four vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTO) trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific," he added.
Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out three lethal kinetic strikes on four vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTO) trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific.
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) October 28, 2025
The four vessels were known by our intelligence… pic.twitter.com/UhoFlZ3jPG
Hegseth went on to say forces carried out three strikes against four vessels. Regarding the survivor, he said, "USSOUTHCOM immediately initiated Search and Rescue (SAR) standard protocols; Mexican SAR authorities accepted the case and assumed responsibility for coordinating the rescue."
"The Department has spent over TWO DECADES defending other homelands. Now, we're defending our own. These narco-terrorists have killed more Americans than Al-Qaeda, and they will be treated the same. We will track them, we will network them, and then, we will hunt and kill them," he concluded.
Overall, at least 57 people have been killed in the strikes carried out by U.S. forces since the campaign in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific began in September.
In the meantime, the U.S. continues amassing troops, vessels and aircraft off the Venezuelan coast as it escalates pressure against Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro.
On Monday, the U.S. again sent B-1B bombers close to Venezuela. Such aircraft had already flown close to Venezuela last Thursday. The records contradicted Donald Trump denial that U.S. bombers had been sent near the country's shores. The B-1B is a supersonic heavy bomber capable of carrying cruise missiles and precision-guided munitions.
The first flight took place about a week after B-52s flew a similar maritime corridor during a Pentagon-described "bomber attack demo" that included Marine F-35s. The U.S. military has concentrated an unusually large force in the Caribbean and off South America, including eight warships, P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, MQ-9 drones, an F-35 squadron and at least one submarine. It is also sending its largest aircraft carrier to the region.
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