US military kills 14 in attacks on vessels in the Pacific, according to Hegseth

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 4 min read 100% complete by Hugo Lowell and Chris SteinOctober 28, 2025 at 09:59 PM

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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the US military killed 14 people and left one survivor after attacking four drug-trafficking boats in international waters of the eastern Pacific on Sunday. This brings the total number of strikes since September to 13, with a death toll of 51 individuals. The attacks were justified by comparing them to operations against al-Qaida during the war on terror, despite legal experts disputing this comparison due to lack of congressional authorization for targeting drug cartel members. Hegseth stated that these narco-terrorists have killed more Americans than Al-Qaeda and will face similar treatment from US forces. Republican Senator Rand Paul criticized the unilateral strikes, expressing concerns about potential escalation with Venezuela.

Key Topics & Entities

Venezuela 50% Mexico ×260% Al-Qaeda ×260% US ×570% Pete Hegseth ×480%

Keywords

drug trafficking 90% us military strikes 85% narco-terrorists 75% pacific ocean 70% trump administration 65% legal disputes 60% venezuela 55% war on terror 50% international waters 45% pete hegseth 40%