‘We’ll track, hunt, and kill’: Hegseth warns after three ‘narco-terrorists’ killed in latest US strike in Caribbean

The US Department of War has carried out another lethal kinetic strike targeting a narco-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on X.

“Today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on another narco-trafficking vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) in the Caribbean,” Hegseth wrote.

According to his statement, the vessel was known by US intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling and was moving along a known trafficking route when it was targeted.

Three killed, no US casualties

Hegseth said the strike occurred in international waters, killing three male “narco-terrorists” aboard the vessel.

“All three terrorists were killed, and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike,” he added.

The Secretary said the mission targeted a Designated Terrorist Organization and was part of the administration’s ongoing military effort to stop narcotics networks from reaching U.S. shores.

“They will not succeed,” says Hegseth

In his statement, Hegseth delivered an unambiguous warning to those involved in drug trafficking.

“These narco-terrorists are bringing drugs to our shores to poison Americans at home — and they will not succeed,” he said.

He likened the Department’s approach to the fight against Al-Qaeda:

“The Department will treat them EXACTLY how we treated Al-Qaeda. We will continue to track them, map them, hunt them, and kill them.”

Fifteenth strike since September

According to officials, this operation marks the 15th US strike in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific since the campaign began on September 2. The series of strikes have now killed a total of 64 people identified as “narco-terrorists.”

Earlier this week, Hegseth confirmed multiple operations in the Eastern Pacific, signaling an expansion of US military engagement against maritime drug networks.