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The Pentagon has carried out another lethal strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: If you’re unaware, the United States has carried out at least 15 military strikes since early September targeting boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of at least 63 people (with 3 survivors being recovered). The US claims these vessels are operated by drug-trafficking groups, including the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which it has designated a terrorist organization. According to US officials, each strike is preceded by surveillance operations that confirm the presence of narcotics on board and verify the boat’sinvolvement in smuggling. Intelligence gathered before the strikes, they say, includes visual identification of drugs and tracking of suspicious routes, forming the basis for the decision to engage militarily.

What’s going on now: In an announcement made on social media, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that US forces conducted a “lethal kinetic strike” against a vessel operating in international waters, killing two individuals he described as “male narco-terrorists.” According to Hegseth, the boat was traveling along a “known narco-trafficking route” and was linked to a designated terrorist organization, though he did not name the group. “We will find and terminate EVERY vessel with the intention of trafficking drugs to America to poison our citizens,” Hegseth posted on X, adding that “NO cartel terrorist stands a chance against the American military.”

He also shared a short video clip of the strike, which shows a fast-moving boat at sea being hit by a missile, followed by a plume of smoke and debris.

This all comes as the Trump administration has come under some heat from some US lawmakers and even the UN over the legality and transparency of these operations. Top officials at the United Nations, including Human Rights Chief Volker Türk, have called for an independent investigation into the strikes, warning that they may constitute extrajudicial killings under international law.

Critics argue that the administration’s justification (based on unilateral designations of cartels as terrorist groups and vague references to intelligence) does not meet the legal standards required for the use of lethal force. Supporters of the strikes argue that the US now treats these “narco terrorists” under the same designation as ISIS and Al Qaeda, which grants them the same authority to conduct strikes in defense of US national security.