US strikes another alleged drug-carrying boat in the Pacific and kills all 4 aboard, Hegseth says
October 29, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says that the U.S. military has killed four people in a strike against a boat that was allegedly carrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The announcement on Wednesday comes as the Trump administration continues its divisive campaign against drug cartels in the waters off South America. Hegseth said in a social media post that intelligence determined the craft was “transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics.” A video posted by Hegseth shows a boat exploding into flames and smoke. The Trump administration has shown no evidence to support its claims about the boats it has struck or their connection to drug cartels.