October 24, 2025

Hold on tight, because the US military just made a splash in the Eastern Pacific by killing two alleged drug smugglers, said US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday. This strike is not just any strike; it marks the first known US military action in the Pacific since President Donald Trump accelerated his fight against drug trafficking. The vessel targeted was "known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling," Hegseth explained, adding it was traveling along a famous narco-route and carrying drugs. Although no detailed proof was shared, Hegseth's team posted a short 30-second video on X showing a boat sailing quietly before exploding dramatically. This fiery strike flows from a series of seven similar attacks in the Caribbean, which have shocked the region by killing at least 32 people. Yet, the Trump administration has kept most details under wraps, including how many drugs were on board or exactly what evidence linked the boat to smuggling. When reporters asked Trump about these strikes, he boldly claimed, "my administration had the legal authority to carry them out," believing each strike "saved American lives." He also stirred the pot by mentioning plans to hit targets on Venezuelan soil — a serious ramp-up. "We'll probably go back to Congress and explain exactly what we're doing when we come to the land," Trump said. "We don't have to do that, but I think ... I'd like to do that." Still, some legal experts have raised eyebrows: Why is the military, not the Coast Guard (the main US maritime law enforcer), doing these dangerous strikes? Why not stop these shipments through other ways before pulling the trigger? The latest strike, first reported by CBS News, also unfolds amid a US military buildup in the Caribbean — think guided missile destroyers, F-35 jets, a nuclear submarine, and thousands of troops staging an epic anti-drug campaign. Adding to the mix, the Coast Guard launched "Operation Viper" in August to catch drug shipments in the Pacific. By mid-October, it had seized over 100,000 pounds of cocaine. So why did this strike happen instead of a sea interception? Just last week, Reuters revealed two alleged drug traffickers survived a US military strike in the Caribbean. These survivors were rescued, taken to a US Navy warship, and sent back to Colombia and Ecuador. This saga shows the Trump administration is turning up the heat in its war on drugs, using military muscle like never before. But with questions swirling, the story is far from over!

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Tags: Us military strike, Drug smuggling, Eastern pacific, Trump administration, Counter-narcotics, Venezuela tensions,