US strikes alleged drug vessel on Pacific side of South America, Hegseth says

The U.S. struck another vessel alleged to be carrying drugs in South American waters on Oct. 21, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed.

The strike is the eighth known against alleged drug vessels since military operations against drug cartels intensified in September. The previous seven took place in the Caribbean Sea, but this one took place in the Pacific Ocean.

Hegseth said in a social media post that the strike happened at President Donald Trump's direction and affected a boat operated by a designated terrorist organization. He did not name the terrorist organization, but compared drug traffickers to Al Qaeda.

"The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route, and carrying narcotics," Hegseth wrote. "There were two narco-terrorists aboard the vessel during the strike ... Both terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike."

Just days ago, on Oct. 19, the Department of Defense announced it had carried out a strike and alleged it was affiliated with a terrorist organization. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said the strike hit a boat that was in distress and carrying a fisherman with no ties to the drug trade.

President Donald Trump's administration has beefed up the American military presence in the Caribbean in recent months and authorized the CIA to conduct operations on Venezuelan soil. The Navy admiral overseeing military forces in the region announced his early retirement on Oct. 16 as well.

Legal experts have questioned why the U.S. military is carrying out the strikes, rather than the Coast Guard, which is the main U.S. maritime law enforcement agency, and why other efforts to halt the shipments weren't attempted before the U.S. resorted to deadly strikes.

Trump has accused the Venezuelan government and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, of intentionally pushing migrants toward the U.S. and supporting drug cartels.

Contributing: Reuters