US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the military action, consisting of three “lethal kinetic strikes”, was carried out “at the direction of President Trump”. The targets were specifically identified as “four vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTOs) narcotics-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific”.
The War Department confirmed that the targets were highly vetted, noting that the vessels were “known to our intelligence apparatus, were traveling through known narcotics trafficking routes and were carrying narcotics”.
Engagements and sacrifices
The Secretary detailed the three kinetic strikes and the resulting casualties. A total of 14 “narco-terrorists” were killed in the three encounters, with one surviving.
The report confirmed that the attacks were conducted “in international waters without injury to US forces”.
Protocol for survival and international coordination
After the encounter, the War Department initiated standard protocols for the lone survivor. The secretary noted that “USSOUTHCOM immediately initiated search and rescue (SAR) standard protocols.” Responsibility for the rescue was subsequently transferred to foreign authorities: “Mexican SAR authorities accepted the case and assumed responsibility for coordinating the rescue.”
Shift in strategic mandate
Secretary Hegseth planned the operation as a major shift in US defense strategy, shifting the focus from overseas engagements to domestic security threats. Contrasting the past with the current mission, he stated, “The Ministry has spent over TWO DECADES defending other homelands. Now we’re defending our own.”
The minister declared: “These narco-terrorists have killed more Americans than al-Qaeda and they will be treated equally.” He ended with a definitive policy statement outlining a new approach: “We will track them, link them, and then hunt them down and kill them.
