The US military carried out two deadly strikes on suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Eastern Pacific on Sunday, killing six people, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed.

In a post on X, Hegseth said the vessels were operated by designated terrorist organisations and were targeted based on intelligence linking them to narcotics smuggling. Each vessel reportedly had three men on board, and all six were killed.

He said the boats were carrying narcotics and transiting along a known drug trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific. The strikes were conducted in international waters under the direction of President Donald Trump. No US service members were hurt during the operation.

Hegseth also shared a video of the strikes, saying the US was acting to protect the homeland and eliminate cartel-linked “narco-terrorists” who threaten the country and its people.

According to a CNN report, the latest attack is part of a campaign that has seen 19 strikes destroying 20 suspected drug boats and killing 76 people so far.

Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, two lethal kinetic strikes were conducted on two vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations.

These vessels were known by our intelligence to be associated with illicit narcotics smuggling, were carrying narcotics, and… pic.twitter.com/ocUoGzwwDO

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) November 10, 2025

Three people have survived the attacks, two were detained by the US Navy and later sent back to their home countries, while another is believed to have died after a search by the Mexican Navy.

Officials told Congress last week that the military does not always know who is on board these vessels before launching strikes. Instead, attacks are based on intelligence that connects the boats to known cartels or criminal networks.

The Trump administration has told Congress that the US is now in an “armed conflict” against drug cartels, which began with the first strike on 2 September.

Those killed have been labelled as “unlawful combatants,” allowing the use of lethal force without court approval, based on a classified Justice Department finding.

However, some members of Congress and human rights groups have questioned this move, saying suspected drug traffickers should be prosecuted under US law instead of being targeted with military strikes.

The administration has not publicly shared evidence that the targeted boats were carrying drugs or had direct ties to cartels. Military officials said no US personnel have been injured in any of the strikes carried out so far.

Reference: Firstpost