The U.S. military intensified its fight against narcotics trafficking this week, launching a ninth strike against an alleged drug-running vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that three people were killed in the latest operation, marking a new phase in the Trump administration’s broader campaign to dismantle drug networks fueling America’s addiction crisis.

This strike followed another late Tuesday that killed two suspects in the same region. Until now, most U.S. military operations had targeted vessels in the Caribbean Sea.

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The recent shift to the eastern Pacific reflects both an expanded targeting area and a direct effort to cut off drug routes used by South American cartels. Since the strikes began last month, at least thirty-seven people have been killed.

Hegseth underscored the administration’s resolve, drawing a striking comparison between the war on terror and the war on narcotics.

“Just as Al Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people,” Hegseth said. “There will be no refuge or forgiveness — only justice.” He later referred to the drug cartels as “the ‘Al Qaeda’ of our hemisphere,” signaling a serious escalation in tone and intent.

President Donald Trump has justified the strikes by asserting that the United States is engaged in an “armed conflict” with these criminal organizations.

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The administration has declared cartel members “unlawful combatants,” using the same legal framework once applied to terrorist groups under President George W. Bush.

When asked about the legality of the latest attack, Trump was unequivocal. “We have legal authority. We’re allowed to do that,” he said.

The president also hinted that similar operations could soon extend to land targets.

“We will hit them very hard when they come in by land,” he explained from the Oval Office. “We’re totally prepared to do that. And we’ll probably go back to Congress and explain exactly what we’re doing when we come to the land.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the strategy, emphasizing the moral and national security dimensions of the campaign.

“If people want to stop seeing drug boats blow up, stop sending drugs to the United States,” he said. Trump echoed that reasoning, explaining that the goal of these strikes is to save American lives.

“The only way you can’t feel bad about it,” he said, “is that you realize that every time you see that happen, you’re saving 25,000 lives.”

Videos released by Hegseth showed small boats loaded with brown packages being destroyed in precise airstrikes. In one clip, a vessel erupted in flames seconds after impact.

Another video showed similar destruction, with packages believed to be cocaine floating in the water afterward.

These visuals underscored the administration’s message that it will not hesitate to destroy trafficking networks at their source.

The United States has built up a significant military presence in the Caribbean and along the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia.

This increased deployment has fueled speculation about broader intentions toward the Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro, who faces narcoterrorism charges in U.S. courts.

Still, administration officials have maintained that the focus remains on stopping drugs that, as Trump often notes, “poison American communities.”

The eastern Pacific is one of the world’s busiest drug-trafficking routes, carrying cocaine from Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador.

The latter’s bustling ports and vast container systems have become convenient cover for cartels shipping drugs disguised as exports. Despite criticism, the Trump administration has emphasized results over rhetoric, arguing that decisive military action is essential to disrupt the deadly supply chain.

The strikes, however, have sparked a new debate in Washington. Lawmakers from both parties have raised concerns about presidential authority and transparency.

Some Democrats have argued that Congress should authorize such actions. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, claimed the strikes were “lawless” and “reckless,” arguing that smugglers should be captured and interrogated instead of targeted militarily.

The Republican-controlled Senate recently voted down a Democratic-sponsored resolution that would have required Trump to seek further congressional approval.

Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana voiced his support for the president’s approach, saying that he had spoken with Rubio about the legal implications.

“He has researched the legal ramifications carefully and he believes we’re on solid ground in attacking these narcoterrorists,” Kennedy said. “I trust his judgment.”

While critics accuse the administration of overreach, supporters view the strikes as a necessary message to cartels that the era of leniency is over.

Under Trump’s leadership and Hegseth’s direction, the U.S. military has adopted a doctrine of deterrence through strength.

The administration’s position is clear: those who profit from the suffering of Americans will face swift and uncompromising justice.

The campaign has reshaped how the United States views drug trafficking — not as a criminal nuisance, but as an act of war against the American people.

As Hegseth and Trump continue to push forward, it is evident that this administration intends to make the fight against narcoterrorism a defining front in defending America’s security and sovereignty.

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