The US military has attacked and destroyed another boat in its ongoing and controversial fight against what it says are drug-trafficking activities.
The strike for the first time was carried out on the Pacific side of South America. Previous attacks have hit seven vessels in the Caribbean and killed at least 32 people.
The latest strike took place off the coast of Colombia and killed two people, according to a person briefed on the operation. It marked a departure from previous strikes, which have occurred off the coast of Venezuela, where the US has deployed an extraordinary military presence.
In a brief video released by US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, a small boat, half-filled with brown packages, is seen moving along at sea. Several seconds into the video, the boat explodes and is seen floating motionless in flames.
In his post, Hegseth took the unusual step of equating the alleged drug traffickers to the terror group that conducted the attacks on the US on September 11, 2001.
“Just as al-Qaida waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people,” Hegseth said, adding that “there will be no refuge or forgiveness – only justice”.
In striking a boat in the Pacific, the administration widened the scope of its campaign, although the reasons for the expansion were not immediately clear. The White House did not respond to a request for comment and Hegseth gave no additional details other than the video on X.
Donald Trump announced what appears to have been the first strike on a boat on 3 September, releasing a brief video of the attack.
Since then, the Trump administration has detailed more strikes without disclosing many details about the targets other than the number of people killed, and the allegation that the boats carried narcotics. The attacks have prompted widespread condemnation, both from civil liberties groups and South American nations.
On Tuesday the Guardian revealed that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is providing the bu