The U.S. Department of War has said that it carried out three strikes in the eastern Pacific, killing 14 alleged narco-terrorists aboard four vessels, with one survivor rescued by Mexican authorities.
In a post on X, Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War said the strikes were conducted on Monday 27th Octover at the direction of President Trump.
He added that Mexican authorities took over the search-and-rescue operation for the lone survivor.
"The four vessels were known by our intelligence apparatus, transiting along known narco-trafficking routes, and carrying narcotics," Hegseth wrote, without providing evidence.
He said the attacks targeted four vessels in three separate engagements, resulting in 14 deaths and one survivor.
Hegseth also posted a roughly 30-second video, which appeared to show two vessels close together in the water before exploding.
Another section of the footage showed a vessel moving in open waters before being hit and erupting in flames.
The Department of War said the strikes took place in international waters and that no U.S. personnel were harmed.
USSOUTHCOM initiated standard search and rescue protocols, after which Mexican authorities assumed responsibility for coordinating the rescue.
The operation comes amid a wider U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean and Pacific regions. Washington has recently deployed guided-missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine and thousands of troops as part of President Trump’s counter-narcotics campaign.
The administration has also ordered the Ford carrier strike group to the region, expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
Hegseth described the operation as part of a broader effort to "defend our own homeland" and said groups involved in narcotics trafficking "will be treated the same" as other designated terrorist organisations.
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