The United States on Friday escalated its campaign against Latin American drug cartels.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the nation has "only just begun to kill narco-terrorists," marking a new phase in President Donald Trump's bid to target cartels as terrorist groups and use lethal force at sea.
Hegseth said Friday that the war on narcotics networks has formally entered a more aggressive chapter.
"We have only just begun to kill narco-terrorists," he wrote in a post on X.
In a separate post on X, Hegseth said the campaign will continue until "narco-terrorists" are destroyed.
"As we've said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be 'lethal, kinetic strikes,'" he wrote.
"The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization."
Hegseth framed the effort as strictly lawful.
"Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict—and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command," he said.
The military operation, identified as Operation Southern Spear, has already seen a string of lethal actions against vessels suspected of facilitating drug smuggling in the Caribbean and Pacific.
According to publicly available records, the strikes have resulted in at least 83 deaths after more than 20 separate hits since early September.
Administration officials and supporters describe the campaign as part of the broader effort to safeguard the United States from illicit drugs and cartel-sponsored violence.
Hegseth said previous policies under former administrations treated the drug trade too softly and allowed dangerous networks to prosper.
"The Trump administration has sealed the border and gone on offense against narco-terrorists," he wrote.
Critics, human-rights groups, and some foreign governments, however, warn that the urgency of the campaign and lack of public evidence linking the killed individuals to terrorist activity raise serious legal and ethical concerns.
Analysts note the U.S. has not publicly provided names or cargo manifests to verify the claims of cartel involvement.
With Hegseth vowing to continue the strikes and U.S. Navy assets deployed across the region, the campaign is the most assertive U.S. maritime anti-narcotics effort in decades.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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