ALBAWABA- The United States carried out its first airstrike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Pacific Ocean off Colombia’s coast Tuesday night, marking a significant escalation in its maritime anti-narcotics operations, U.S. officials told CBS News.
The attack, part of President Donald Trump’s expanded campaign against transnational cartels, targeted a boat allegedly linked to narcotics smuggling networks. Casualty figures remain unclear, but the strike brings the overall death toll from similar U.S. operations to at least 34.
The strike is the eighth in a series of maritime attacks launched since September 2, most of which occurred in the Caribbean Sea near Venezuela. Earlier operations targeted vessels believed to be operated by Venezuelan and Colombian groups, including the Tren de Aragua and the National Liberation Army (ELN), accused of smuggling cocaine and fentanyl precursors bound for the United States.
While U.S. officials describe the strikes as “defensive actions” aimed at disrupting cartel logistics and curbing the fentanyl crisis, legal experts and regional leaders have raised concerns over potential violations of international maritime law and the sovereignty of affected nations.
President Trump has publicly defended the campaign, claiming each strike “saves 25,000 American lives” by preventing overdose deaths. However, analysts note that U.S. overdose rates began to decline before the operation began, raising questions about the campaign’s impact. At least 27 of those killed in earlier strikes were Venezuelan nationals, and two survivors remain in U.S. custody.
The move to extend operations into the Pacific marks a new phase in Washington’s regional strategy, signaling an intensified push against what U.S. officials describe as “a hemispheric narco-terror network.” Further actions are reportedly under review as U.S. intelligence identifies additional targets across both coasts of South America.
