US strikes kill five in Pacific as Trump escalates war on drugs

The U.S. military has killed five alleged drug smugglers in two separate strikes against vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean, marking a further expansion of President Donald Trump’s counter-narcotics operations, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on October 22.

According to Hegseth, the first strike took place on October 21, targeting a vessel believed to be involved in drug trafficking and killing two individuals. A second strike, carried out the following day, destroyed another vessel and killed three more. The operations, he said, were conducted along known narcotics routes, though no evidence of drug cargo has been publicly presented, Reuters reports.

Videos shared by Hegseth on X (formerly Twitter) showed brief footage of small boats exploding after being hit. These strikes are the first reported U.S. military operations in the Pacific under Trump’s new anti-drug offensive, which has already seen at least seven similar attacks in the Caribbean, reportedly killing 32 people.

The widening campaign has sparked strong criticism from regional leaders. Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the Pacific strike as “murder,” accusing Washington of violating international law. Colombia’s Foreign Ministry urged the U.S. to immediately halt such actions. Meanwhile, Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa, who has declared war on gangs at home, voiced support for Trump’s crackdown.

President Trump defended the operations, saying they were legally justified and aimed at saving American lives. He also hinted at potential future strikes on land targets in Venezuela, saying he would “probably” brief Congress if that occurs.

The strikes come amid a broader U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, which includes guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear-powered submarine, and approximately 6,500 troops.

Legal experts, however, have questioned why the Pentagon—not the Coast Guard, which typically handles maritime law enforcement—is conducting lethal operations. The Coast Guard’s own Operation Viper, launched in August to interdict narcotics in the Pacific, has so far seized over 100,000 pounds (45,000 kilograms) of cocaine, but it remains unclear why the military opted for airstrikes instead of interception in this case.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported that two alleged traffickers survived a similar U.S. military strike in the Caribbean and were later repatriated after being rescued by the U.S. Navy.

By Vugar Khalilov