New US strikes kill 14 alleged drug traffickers, Mexico leads rescue of survivor
PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — A Mexican helicopter flies above Mexican and U.S. cutters during a passing exercise off the coast of Bridgetown, Barbados, during TRADEWINDS 24 (TW24) on May 5, 2024. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Elizabeth O. Bryson via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service - DVIDS)
WASHINGTON - A series of U.S. strikes against suspected drug vessels in the eastern Pacific killed 14 alleged drug traffickers and left one survivor, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday.
In a post on X, Hegseth said Mexican authorities took over the search-and-rescue operation for the lone survivor from the three strikes, which took place on Monday.
"The four vessels were known by our intelligence apparatus, transiting along known narco-trafficking routes, and carrying narcotics," Hegseth said, without providing any evidence.
But Hegseth posted a roughly 30-second video, which appeared to show two vessels close together in the water before exploding. Another part of the video shows a vessel moving in the water which then explodes.
The strikes in the Pacific come against the backdrop of a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean that includes guided-missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine and thousands of troops. The administration has ordered the Ford carrier strike group to the region and is expected to reach the Caribbean in the coming weeks.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart, Editing by Franklin Paul // REUTERS)
