Trump's week in review: East Wing demolished; ballroom construction begins; new Russia sanctions
4. Hegseth announces additional strikes against drug cartels
In a statement posted to X on Wednesday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that "The Department of War carried out yet another lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO)," claiming they were engaged in "narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific."
"The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and was carrying narcotics," Hegseth wrote. "Three male terrorists were aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters. All three terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike."
Hegseth vowed that such strikes on drug boats, which have drawn outrage from Democrats and the Venezuelan government, "will continue, day after day."
"These are not simply drug runners — these are narco-terrorists bringing death and destruction to our cities," he said. "These DTOs are the 'Al Qaeda' of our hemisphere and will not escape justice. We will find them and kill them, until the threat to the American people is extinguished."
The strikes against the drug cartels in foreign waters come after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Tren de Agua, MS-13, Cartel de Sinaloa, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, Cartel del Noreste, La Nueva Familia Michoacana, Cartel de Golfo and Carteles Unidos as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
