In a significant escalation of its anti-narcotics campaign, US forces have killed 14 individuals in strikes targeting four suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday. This brings the total death toll from Washington’s operations to at least 57 since early September. The latest strikes, conducted on Monday in international waters, mark the deadliest single-day toll in the campaign so far. Hegseth stated that the vessels were identified by intelligence as transporting narcotics along known trafficking routes. A sole survivor was reported, with Mexican authorities taking responsibility for coordinating the rescue. The Pentagon released video footage of the strikes, which included two stationary boats and two others speeding across open water. Despite the US claims, experts argue that such strikes are illegal, even if targeting known traffickers, and Washington has yet to provide concrete evidence of drug smuggling. The US has significantly bolstered its military presence in Latin America, deploying seven Navy warships, F-35 stealth warplanes, and the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group to the region. This buildup has sparked regional tensions, with Venezuela accusing the US of plotting to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro. Meanwhile, Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa hinted at the possibility of hosting a foreign military base in the Galapagos Islands, potentially involving the US, to combat drug trafficking and illegal fishing.