The United States Armed Forces bombed two boats sailing near the coast of South America in the Pacific Ocean in less than 48 hours. According to the Secretary of the Department of War, Pete Hegseth, the first attack was carried out on Tuesday night (21) and the second this Wednesday (22).
The bombing carried out on Tuesday (21) hit a boat in international waters near Colombia, according to the North American press, and left two people dead. According to Hegseth, the vessel belonged to a “terrorist organization” and was sailing on a known international drug trafficking route.
On a social network, the secretary stated that the second operation was also carried out in international waters and authorized by President Donald Trump. The American government reported that the boat was loaded with drugs and that three people died.
The military strikes were the first reported in the Pacific since the Trump administration began a new offensive against international drug trafficking in the region. Until then, the bombings had only been carried out in the Caribbean Sea, leaving at least 32 people dead.
In August, the US Coast Guard launched Operation Viper to intercept drugs in the Pacific Ocean. As of October 15, the corporation reported having seized more than 45 tons of cocaine.
The US president justified the attacks by saying that 300,000 people died in the US from drug-related problems. According to Trump, sea operations will cause traffickers to begin acting on land and that he can go to Congress for authorization to initiate actions on land.
