The United States on Tuesday carried out three lethal kinetic strikes on four vessels in the eastern Pacific “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTO) trafficking narcotics,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in a social media post. According to Hegseth, the strikes — carried out at President Donald Trump’s direction — took place in international waters; 15 people were aboard the boats, 14 of whom were killed, and one survivor is being sought with Mexican search-and-rescue authorities engaged in the effort.
Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out three lethal kinetic strikes on four vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTO) trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific.
The four vessels were known by our intelligence… pic.twitter.com/UhoFlZ3jPG
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) October 28, 2025
Hegseth characterised the operation as part of a campaign against narco-terrorism, saying the groups responsible “have killed more Americans than Al-Qaeda” and will be pursued. He added that there were no US casualties in the strikes.
The US statement did not provide further operational details or independent verification; international reactions and legal assessments of the action are yet to emerge. Mexico’s participation in the search for the lone survivor was described as ongoing.
Officials and analysts will likely watch for more information about the targets, intelligence used to justify the strikes, and any diplomatic fallout — particularly given the strikes occurred in international waters and involve cross-border counter-narcotics cooperation.
