US kills 14 in strikes on four alleged drug boats

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that US forces killed 14 people in an attack on four ships allegedly using drugs in the Pacific.

One of the survivors was rescued by Mexican search and rescue personnel, he said.

This is the latest in a series of attacks on boats that the US says are transporting drugs in both the Pacific and Caribbean.

The latest attacks in the eastern Pacific, which Hegseth said Monday took place at the behest of President Donald Trump, mark an escalation in what he says is a campaign targeting drug traffickers.

At least 57 people have died in the attacks so far, and this has led to increased tension between the United States and the Colombian and Venezuelan governments.

Most attacks have occurred off the coast of South America, in the Caribbean, but recently attacks have also been carried out in the Pacific Ocean.

The US attacks were condemned in the region and experts questioned the legality of the attacks. Members of the US Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, also expressed concern and questioned the president’s authority to order them.

In a statement about

Hegseth added that eight “narco terrorists” were killed in the first attack. Four and three people were killed in the next two attacks.

One person survived the attacks. According to Hegseth, Mexican search and rescue officials “accepted the case and assumed responsibility for coordinating the rescue.”

The survivor’s condition or current whereabouts is unclear.

Hegseth’s post included videos showing several ships catching fire after being hit by US munitions.

“The Department has spent more than two decades defending other dormitories,” Hegseth wrote. “We are now defending our own rights.”

At least four of the attacks have so far taken place in the Pacific, a much more important drug trafficking corridor, with the rest in the Caribbean.

President Trump has said he has the legal authority to continue bombing boats in international waters, but suggested last week that he might seek approval from Congress if the campaign was expanded to targets on land.

Trump has said he is “fully prepared” to strike targets on the ground, which would mark a significant escalation in the campaign.

However, the strikes also sparked criticism from international law experts as well as the Venezuelan and Colombian governments.

In an interview with the BBC’s Newsday program last week, Colombian Deputy Foreign Minister Mauricio Jaramillo said the attacks were “disproportionate and contrary to international law”.

Jaramillo said those on the ships “had no means of defending themselves” and faced “no due process” and “no judicial orders.”

The strikes also took place at a time of rising tensions with both governments. The United States imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, accusing him of failing to prevent drug trafficking and allowing the cartels to “thrive.”

The US has deployed troops, aircraft and navy ships to the Caribbean and last week ordered the world’s largest warship, USS Gerald R Ford, to be sent to the region.

Trump has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of being the leader of a drug-trafficking organization, which he has denied, and there are fears in Venezuela that the US military build-up is aimed at destabilizing and overthrowing Maduro’s government.