Hegseth says four killed in another Pacific vessel strike

US Military Strike Kills Four More in Pacific Vessel Attack

A US military strike in the eastern Pacific Ocean has resulted in the deaths of at least four people, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The latest incident is the ninth kinetic military attack on a boat that Hegseth has publicly posted about in the past month, bringing the total number of fatalities to 38.

According to Hegseth, the targeted vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling and was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route when it was struck. The Department of Defense's counternarcotics task force, which has been employed to carry out vessel strikes, has reportedly identified at least nine such incidents since October 10, killing dozens of people.

The targeting of these vessels in the Pacific and Caribbean has sparked widespread criticism from international leaders, including Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Maduro accused the Trump administration of "inventing a new eternal war" with the strikes, while Petro described the strike on Colombian nationals as "murder", saying that the slain boaters were fishermen.

US President Donald Trump has also posted about the attacks, emphasizing that his administration is targeting the trafficking of narcotics onto American soil. Hegseth echoed this sentiment in a post to X, stating that "The Western Hemisphere is no longer a safe haven for narco-terrorists bringing drugs to our shores to poison Americans."

As tensions continue to mount between the United States, Venezuela, and Colombia, the identities of the four people killed in Wednesday's attack remain unknown. The incident highlights concerns about the US administration's use of military power abroad, with critics accusing it of trying to start a new war and abusing its authority.

The Department of Defense has defended the counternarcotics task force as a necessary measure to stop the flow of drugs into the US by targeting ships believed to be carrying narcotics and DTO members. However, many have questioned the use of military force against civilian vessels, citing concerns about civilian casualties and the rule of law.

gotta wonder if this is really worth it... all these deaths & still, people are smuggling meds into the States? it's like they're just playing a game of whack-a-mole - hit one ship, another pops up. what's the end goal here? Is it just about keeping the streets safe or is there something more at play?

[Image of a submarine with a big red X marked through it ]
[Pic of a narco-trafficker getting "nailed" by a fishing net ]
[An animation of a boat getting "hit by a truck" ]
[Tweet-style image of an American flag with a red circle and line through it, captioned "Narco-War? "]

This is getting out of hand ! I mean, 38 people already lost their lives? That's just heartbreaking . And now they're talking about starting a "new eternal war" ? It's like, what even is that? Just because some people are involved in smuggling doesn't mean we have to resort to military force . I'm all for keeping our communities safe, but this feels so extreme .

And what's with the lack of transparency? We know it was a US military strike, but who were these people on the boat exactly? Were they even involved in smuggling? It just doesn't feel right . And then there are all these international leaders weighing in... like, can't we just have one country making its own decisions here for once? .

I know we want to stop the flow of drugs, but is military force really the answer? Can't we be working with other countries and organizations to solve this problem instead? It's all just so confusing .

u gotta wonder if its even worth it man... thousands of ppl die every yr from overdose in US alone & the gov's all like "hey lets just drop bombs on some boats" meanwhile, they're not addressing the root issue here. narcotics smuggling is a global problem that needs a coordinated effort, not some unilateral US military strikes u can't just bomb ur way to solution bro... it's gonna cause more problems than it solves

This is just another example of how actions can lead to reactions . The US administration's response to narco-trafficking in the Pacific has put innocent fishermen and civilians at risk, and now they're caught up in the middle of a diplomatic storm. It's like ripples on a pond - their aggressive move has created waves that are affecting not just the region, but also international relations .

The problem is, when you use military force to solve problems, it often creates more problems than it solves . And now we're seeing the consequences of this action, with people losing their lives and tensions rising between nations. It's a reminder that diplomacy and dialogue are just as important as military power in resolving conflicts .

We can learn from this incident that violence begets more violence, and that finding peaceful solutions to problems is always worth exploring .

man this is getting outta hand these ppl r dying left & right in the pacific & no one's doing squat about it meanwhile the us gov't is just trying to spin it as a necessary evil to stop drugs from coming into the country newsflash tho - there ain't no such thing as a 'safe haven' for people who wanna harm others what we need is diplomacy & cooperation not some military strike that's only gonna fuel more violence

Omg, you guys, it's like they're trying to break some kind of record for most deaths in a month! 38 people already and it's only been a few weeks? I mean, I get that narco-trafficking is a big deal, but can't we just, like, negotiate with them or something? Instead of blowing up their boats. It's just so... dramatic. And what's with the names? Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump? Sounds like they're trying out for roles in a superhero movie . Anyway, I guess it's good that someone's talking about this issue, but maybe we should be having a more nuanced conversation about it?

idk why ppl are so worked up over this... like, if ur on a boat carryin illicit goods, u got it comin... its not like they r just sailin around lookin 4 fun lol US needs to start takin action against these narco-traffickers, even if it means some collateral damage... its all part of the game, right?

.. this is just crazy Four more people lost their lives in a US military strike ... and it's like, what's going on here? These attacks are getting out of hand and I'm not sure anyone's even thinking about the consequences . I mean, we're talking about innocent fishermen trying to make a living, and then BAM! A US warship comes out of nowhere and starts blasting away . And for what? To stop some narco-trafficking ship? It just doesn't add up .

And have you seen the numbers? 38 people dead, and that's not even counting all the civilians caught in the crossfire . I know we've got a problem with narco-trafficking, but can't we just try to tackle it without killing people left and right ? It's like, what's next? Targeting entire countries for being too 'soft' on the issue ?

I'm all about national security and all that, but come on... there's gotta be a better way to do this than blowing up boats at sea . We're always talking about how we want to be the good guys in the world, but actions like these just make me wonder if that's even true . Anyway... just my two cents

I'm thinking... 38 lives lost already this month , which is insane! According to stats, US naval ships have made over 1500 vessel intercepts since 2017 . Meanwhile, global opioid deaths have spiked from 200k in 2001 to over 500k in 2020 ... The US government claims these strikes are necessary to stop narco-trafficking, but what about the collateral damage? Did you know that the Pacific Ocean is home to 3.4 million registered vessels, and only a tiny fraction of them are involved in smuggling? Maybe it's time for the US to rethink its counternarcotics strategy? The latest strike in the Caribbean resulted in a 35% increase in regional maritime crime reports ... What do you guys think? Should we be concerned about the growing use of military force in combating narcotics?

just heard about this latest attack in the Pacific... seems like a slippery slope, you know? one minute its anti-narcotics efforts, next thing you know there's civilian casualties on both sides... what's the real motive behind these strikes? is it really just about stopping drugs from coming in or is there more to it? i'm not saying the US should just sit back and let narco-trafficking flourish but at the same time, using military force against civilians gotta be a last resort... or what's the alternative gonna be?