Video: US strike against terrorist group's drug trafficking vessel leaves 3 narco-terrorists dead

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Sunday that the U.S. military executed a “lethal kinetic strike” against a drug trafficking vessel linked to a designated terrorist organization from Columbia. The U.S. military strike left three narco-terrorists dead. 

In a Sunday post on X, formerly Twitter, Hegseth confirmed that the Department of War launched a “lethal kinetic strike” on Friday at President Donald Trump’s direction. Hegseth explained that the strike was executed against a vessel linked to the Ejército de Liberación Nacional, which is a designated terrorist organization from Columbia, and that the vessel was operating in international waters in U.S. Southern Command’s region of responsibility. 

“The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was traveling along a known narco-trafficking route, and was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics,” Hegseth stated. 

“There were three male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel during the strike—which was conducted in international waters,” the secretary of war added. “All three terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike.”

Hegseth described the drug cartels that have been targeted in recent U.S. military strikes as the “Al Qaeda of the Western hemisphere.” He warned that the cartels use terrorism, violence, and murder to “impose their will, threaten our national security and poison our people.”

“The United States military will treat these organizations like the terrorists they are—they will be hunted, and killed, just like Al Qaeda,” Hegseth warned.

A video of Friday’s military strike against the drug smuggling vessel was shared by Hegseth on social media.

https://x.com/SecWar/status/1979930208472912048

According to CBS News, Friday’s strike against the drug smuggling vessel linked to the Colombian terrorist organization is the seventh strike the Trump administration has carried out against drug cartel vessels in international waters. Fox News reported that 31 individuals have been killed in the Trump administration’s strikes against drug cartel vessels operating in international waters. 

In a Sunday statement on Truth Social, Trump accused Colombian President Gustavo Petro of being an “illegal drug leader” who encourages the “massive production of drugs” in Colombia. 

“The purpose of this drug production is the sale of massive amounts of product into the United States, causing death, destruction, and havoc,” Trump said. “Petro, a low rated and very unpopular leader, with a fresh mouth toward America, better close up these killing fields immediately, or the United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely.”