A series of strikes conducted by the U.S. military on boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean killed 14 people and left one survivor, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday, alleging those on board were drug traffickers.
In a post on X, Hegseth said Mexican authorities took over the search-and-rescue operation for the lone survivor from the three strikes, which took place on Monday.
"The four vessels were known by our intelligence apparatus, transiting along known narco-trafficking routes, and carrying narcotics," Hegseth said, without providing any evidence.
Hegseth posted a roughly 30-second video, which appeared to show two vessels close together in the water before exploding. Another part of the video shows a vessel moving in the water, which then explodes.
After a series of strikes in the Caribbean beginning on Sept. 2, the U.S. government announced for the first time last week that its deadly operations had extended to Pacific waters.
Experts have questioned the legality of the strikes, which have killed at least 57 people. There has been no indication that other efforts were made to halt the shipments, and under normal circumstances, the U.S.
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