(NewsNation) — The U.S. military conducted three strikes on four boats in the Eastern Pacific, killing more than a dozen alleged narcotics traffickers, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday.
The boats were allegedly operated by members of “designated terrorist organizations,” though Hegseth did not specify which. Hegseth confirmed the attacks on social media, accompanied by footage of the “three lethal kinetic strikes” carried out Monday.
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In total, 14 individuals — described by Hegseth as “narco-terrorists” — were killed in the strikes, and one survived.
Mexican search and rescue authorities have “assumed responsibility” for the rescue of the survivor aboard, Hegseth said.
“All strikes were in international waters with no U.S. forces harmed,” he added.
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The Defense Department has carried out a series of strikes on boats accused of similar crimes in the Caribbean since August. The first attacks in the Pacific came earlier this month.
In February, the State Department designated eight cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations” and “specially designated global terrorists.”
NewsNation’s Meg Hilling contributed to this report.
