US Strikes on Suspected Drug Boats Kill 14

BBC reports four alleged drug-trafficking vessels were struck by US forces in the eastern Pacific on Monday, killing 14 people, according to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The strikes, ordered by President Donald Trump, are part of an escalating campaign to curb narcotics entering the United States.

“These vessels were known by our intelligence apparatus, transitioning along known narco-trafficking routes and carrying narcotics,” Hegseth said in a statement on X. He added that Mexican authorities have taken over rescue coordination after one survivor was reported approximately 400 miles off the coast of Acapulco.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the strikes, saying, “We do not agree with these attacks,” and called for a meeting with the US ambassador and senior officials. “We want all international treaties to be respected,” she added.

The strikes are the latest in a series of US military actions targeting suspected drug boats in both the Pacific and Caribbean. At least 57 people have been killed so far, raising concerns among regional governments.

Tensions have intensified between the US and governments in Colombia and Venezuela. The US recently imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro and deployed military assets to the Caribbean, including the USS Gerald R. Ford. Trump has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading a drug-trafficking organisation, a claim Maduro firmly denies.