US Military Strikes 5 More in Pacific, Kills Alleged Drug Smugglers
The US Department of Defense has confirmed two more strikes against alleged narcotics trafficking vessels on the Pacific side of Latin America over the past two days, resulting in the deaths of at least five people. The latest strikes follow a string of similar operations in the Caribbean Sea that have claimed the lives of over 30 individuals.
According to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, both ships were operated by a "Designated Terrorist Organization" and were transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in international waters. Hegseth also stated that no US forces were harmed during the strikes.
The Pentagon has released videos of the strikes, which show vessels being hit with what appears to be missiles or explosives, causing them to engulf in flames. The videos also capture bags or parcels floating in the water after the boat was struck.
Hegseth attributed the operation to President Trump's direction and stated that the US is in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels, arguing that the narcotics they smuggle kill tens of thousands of Americans every year. However, some lawmakers have expressed concerns about the constitutionality of these actions and called for more information on the strategy.
In a recent interview, Democratic Senator Mark Kelly stated that while he supports efforts to prevent fentanyl from entering the US, the routes used by alleged drug traffickers are often used to transport cocaine to Europe, not the US. Kelly also expressed skepticism about the US government's claims of a "secret list" of narco organizations and cartels.
The operation marks another escalation in the US military's efforts to combat narcotics trafficking in Latin America. The Pentagon has been working with regional partners, including the Dominican Republic, on counternarcotics flights and other initiatives for years.
The US Department of Defense has confirmed two more strikes against alleged narcotics trafficking vessels on the Pacific side of Latin America over the past two days, resulting in the deaths of at least five people. The latest strikes follow a string of similar operations in the Caribbean Sea that have claimed the lives of over 30 individuals.
According to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, both ships were operated by a "Designated Terrorist Organization" and were transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in international waters. Hegseth also stated that no US forces were harmed during the strikes.
The Pentagon has released videos of the strikes, which show vessels being hit with what appears to be missiles or explosives, causing them to engulf in flames. The videos also capture bags or parcels floating in the water after the boat was struck.
Hegseth attributed the operation to President Trump's direction and stated that the US is in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels, arguing that the narcotics they smuggle kill tens of thousands of Americans every year. However, some lawmakers have expressed concerns about the constitutionality of these actions and called for more information on the strategy.
In a recent interview, Democratic Senator Mark Kelly stated that while he supports efforts to prevent fentanyl from entering the US, the routes used by alleged drug traffickers are often used to transport cocaine to Europe, not the US. Kelly also expressed skepticism about the US government's claims of a "secret list" of narco organizations and cartels.
The operation marks another escalation in the US military's efforts to combat narcotics trafficking in Latin America. The Pentagon has been working with regional partners, including the Dominican Republic, on counternarcotics flights and other initiatives for years.
These strikes sound like more of the same old USA's foreign policy drama. I mean, who gets to decide what's "terrorist" in Latin America, huh? It sounds like the US is playing a game of global whack-a-mole with narco-trafficking routes. And let's not forget, Senator Kelly has some serious points about the cocaine-Europe thing - is this really about keeping our streets safe or just about flexing our military muscles? 
And what's up with this "non-international armed conflict" nonsense? Isn't that just a fancy way of saying we're gonna do whatever we want without having to answer to Congress? 
It's all very convenient, but at the end of the day, it's still about politics and who gets to make the tough decisions. 
. It seems like the US is stepping into a situation that's super complicated. I get why they want to stop fentanyl from coming in, but what if we're messing up other people or countries in the process? 
these strikes are just so reckless and unnecessary like who gets to decide who lives or dies on those boats 
and what's with the "designated terrorist organization" label it sounds like they're just making up excuses for their own imperialism 
and senator kelly is right on point too like the routes these traffickers use arent even relevant to us americans we dont have that much to do with europe's fentanyl crisis 
. On one hand, I get it - those cartels are responsible for so much suffering and death in our country. We've lost far too many people to fentanyl overdoses alone 
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. Are we really in a "non-international armed conflict" with cartels? How do we define that? And what about the civilians who get caught in the crossfire? 
. We're talking about a global issue here, and I'm not convinced that our military intervention alone is going to make a dent in the problem.
. We can't just rely on force or drone strikes to solve it. We need to work with local partners, invest in community development programs, and tackle the root causes of these issues. 
It's all pretty unclear to me...
I'm all for taking down narco-traffickers, but can we please get more info on how this is being done legally? It sounds like we're just shooting first and asking questions later 
. Can't we just say that people are smuggling drugs without all the extra baggage? 
. That's some crazy stuff right there. What's next? Sending troops to South America to "keep the peace"? 
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at least the videos of the strikes are getting some attention... can't wait for the drone footage of the US ships coming back with a side of "oops, collateral damage" 
i mean i get it the us is trying to stop drugs from comin into america but do they really need to be so brutal about it? my friendz daughters cousin was involved with some of those cartels and she said it was a really bad situation, ppl were being forced to carry heavy loads and some even got hurt