US military kills six in Eastern Pacific strikes targeting suspected drug boats

The US military carried out another operation targeting suspected drug trafficking vessels on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of six people in the Eastern Pacific, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said.

Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, two lethal kinetic strikes were conducted on two vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations.

These vessels were known by our intelligence to be associated with illicit narcotics smuggling, were carrying narcotics, and… pic.twitter.com/ocUoGzwwDO

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) November 10, 2025

In a post on X, Hegseth confirmed that the military conducted two lethal strikes against separate vessels “operated by designated terrorist organisations.” He did not specify which groups the crews of the ships are believed to be affiliated with.

“These vessels were known by our intelligence to be associated with illicit narcotics smuggling, were carrying narcotics, and were transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route in the Eastern Pacific,” Hegseth said.

According to a CNN report, the US military has killed 76 people in 19 strikes that destroyed 20 boats as part of a campaign Washington says is aimed at curbing the flow of drugs into the United States.

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Of those targeted, three survived the strikes. Two were briefly detained by the US Navy before being returned to their home countries, while the third is presumed dead following a search conducted by the Mexican Navy.

In multiple briefings to Congress, including one last week, administration officials acknowledged that they do not always know the identities of individuals on board a vessel before launching an attack. Instead, strikes are carried out based on intelligence linking the vessels to specific cartels or criminal organisations, CNN reported.

The Trump administration has informed Congress that the US is now engaged in an “armed conflict” against drug cartels, beginning with its first strike on September 2.

Those killed have been labeled “unlawful combatants,” giving the administration authority to carry out lethal strikes without judicial review, based on a classified Justice Department finding.

Some members of Congress and human rights groups have challenged this determination, arguing that suspected drug traffickers should face prosecution under longstanding US policy, which historically focused on interdiction rather than lethal force.

The administration has not publicly provided evidence of narcotics aboard the targeted boats or confirmed their ties to drug cartels. Military officials have stated that no US service members have been harmed during the strikes.

With inputs from agencies