US forces have struck a second vessel alleged to be carrying drugs in the Pacific Ocean, amid an escalating US campaign against seaborne drug smuggling.
Three people were killed and no US forces were harmed in the strike on Wednesday, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said. It came hours after the US struck another boat in the Pacific, killing two people.
Colombia's government has denounced the US for carrying out strikes on vessels close to its coast, saying the American action was 'like applying the death penalty in a territory that is not yours'.
Wednesday's strikes were the first in Pacific waters, as most previous attacks were in the Caribbean.
'These strikes will continue, day after day. These are not simply drug runners - these are narco-terrorists bringing death and destruction to our cities,' Hegseth posted on X.
The post was accompanied by a video that appears to show a boat catching fire after being struck by a US bomb. Floating items are then seen in the water, before they appear to be targeted by a second air strike.
The Colombian deputy foreign minister, Mauricio Jaramillo, said the strikes were 'disproportionate and outside international law'. He emphasized that there was 'no process, no judicial order' and urged the US to cooperate with Colombia in fighting drug trafficking instead of using military force.
US President Donald Trump has asserted that he has the legal authority to carry out such strikes in international waters but suggested he might consult Congress if he extends the operations to land.
The expansion of these strikes into the Pacific Ocean is viewed as significant, given that it is a key drug trafficking route. However, there are concerns that these operations may also serve to apply military pressure on the Venezuelan government under Nicolás Maduro.
At least 37 people have been killed in the US strikes on alleged drug boats, and recent operations have garnered further scrutiny regarding their legality and potential humanitarian implications.
Both Colombia and Ecuador have extensive Pacific coastlines that are critical to drug transportation networks heading towards the US. According to the DEA, an overwhelming majority of cocaine bound for US cities is funneled through the Pacific, yet US authorities have provided limited information about those involved in the strikes.
As the situation unfolds, with increased military presence in the Caribbean, the potential impacts on relations between the US and Colombia remain uncertain.
