US Secretary of War justifies strikes on drug cartel boats

The US Secretary of War also drew parallels between the drug cartels and al-Qaeda terrorists, as he justified the strikes to protect American lives.  

"If you're working for a designated terrorist organisation and you bring drugs to this country in a boat, we will find you and we will sink you. Let there be no doubt about it," Hegseth said. "President Trump can and will take decisive military action as he sees fit to defend our nation's interests. Let no country on earth doubt that for a moment."

US action against drug cartels in Caribbean, eastern Pacific

Hegseth's remarks come amid the Trump administration's criticism for targeting boats allegedly linked to drug cartels in the Caribbean sea and the eastern Pacific. Critics of the Trump administration argue that such attacks could constitute a war crime. So far, more than 80 people have been in such strikes.

On December 5, the United States Southern Command targeted another such boat in the eastern Pacific, killing at least four people. This was the 22nd such strike conducted by the US military in Caribbean and eastern Pacific. In an X post, it said the strike was conducted following the instructions of Hegseth.

"Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in international waters operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization," the US military said in a statement. "Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics and transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific. Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed.