US Military Expands Anti-Drug Operations with Deadly Strike in Pacific Ocean

Oct 23, 2025 09:34 am CST

The US military has expanded its anti-drug trafficking campaign beyond the Caribbean to the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people in its eighth strike against alleged narco-vessels. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth compared the operations to the war on terrorism, as the Trump administration designates cartels as unlawful combatants while focusing on Colombian smuggling routes.