The United States, acting on direct orders from President Trump, carried out three precision kinetic strikes against four vessels tied to Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTOs) trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific, Secretary of War Michael Hegseth announced. The strikes—conducted in international waters—resulted in the deaths of 14 narco-terrorists and left one survivor, officials said. No U.S. forces were harmed.

Secretary Hegseth told reporters the four vessels were identified by U.S. intelligence as operating along established narco-trafficking routes and actively carrying illicit narcotics. “Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out three lethal kinetic strikes on four vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTO) trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific,” Hegseth said, outlining the operation’s scope.

According to the Department’s account, the first strike killed eight male narco-terrorists aboard two interdicted boats, the second strike killed four males aboard a third vessel, and the third strike killed three males aboard the final target. One individual survived the attacks; U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) immediately initiated Search and Rescue protocols and coordinated pass-off to Mexican authorities, who accepted responsibility for the survivor’s recovery.

The strikes mark a significant escalation in Washington’s campaign against transnational narco-terror networks, which the administration describes as violent criminal organizations that have inflicted staggering harm on American communities. “The Department has spent over TWO DECADES defending other homelands. Now, we’re defending our own,” Secretary Hegseth declared. “These narco-terrorists have killed more Americans than Al-Qaeda, and they will be treated the same. We will track them, we will network them, and then, we will hunt and kill them.”

U.S. officials emphasized that the operations were carefully targeted and lawful, conducted in international waters to disrupt maritime trafficking nodes used by DTOs that also operate as armed terror proxies. Military planners said the action combined real-time intelligence, maritime surveillance, and precision strike capability to neutralize immediate threats while attempting to limit collateral risk.

Policy analysts say the move signals a broader shift in U.S. strategy: treating transnational narcotics networks not merely as criminal enterprises but as armed terror actors whose operations directly threaten American lives and national security. The administration frames the strikes as defensive measures intended to stem the flow of deadly drugs and to dismantle the violent organizations that profit from them.

Mexico’s acceptance of the survivor for SAR coordination underscores continued regional cooperation even amid tough unilateral steps taken by Washington. U.S. officials said they would continue sharing intelligence with regional partners and pursuing combined efforts to choke off DTO finance, logistics, and command structures.

As investigators piece together forensic and intelligence evidence from the strikes, the administration is preparing for legal and diplomatic scrutiny. For now, the message from Washington is clear: under President Trump, the United States will use its military tools decisively to protect the homeland and to confront transnational narco-terror networks wherever they operate.