In a significant escalation of its anti-narcotics operations, the U.S. military executed a lethal strike in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of two individuals aboard a targeted vessel. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed the operation on Wednesday, stating it was authorized by President Donald Trump. The strike targeted a boat allegedly operated by a designated terrorist organization involved in drug trafficking, marking the eighth such operation since early September and the first outside the Caribbean. These strikes have collectively claimed at least 34 lives. Hegseth framed the operation as part of a broader campaign against ‘narco-terrorists’ threatening U.S. borders, drawing parallels to the war on terror. The Trump administration has justified these actions as essential to combat transnational cartels it labels as terrorist entities. However, critics and legal experts have raised concerns about the legality of such strikes, arguing they lack judicial oversight and could violate international law. The Pentagon has yet to disclose the nationality of the vessel or the identities of the deceased. This incident follows recent operations in the Caribbean, which have also sparked debates over the administration’s authority to detain foreign nationals captured in anti-narcotics missions. The story continues to develop.