US Intensifies Pacific Campaign with Lethal Strikes on Smuggling Vessels
Washington D.C., Tuesday, 16 December 2025.
US forces executed lethal strikes on three suspected trafficking vessels in the Eastern Pacific, killing eight individuals. This operation raises the campaign’s death toll to 95 since September, marking a significant intensification as the administration officially classifies counter-narcotics efforts as an armed conflict against designated terrorist organizations.
Operational Specifics and Strategic Directives
The Monday operation, conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear under the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, targeted vessels transiting known narco-trafficking routes in international waters [2][3]. US Southern Command reported that the strikes resulted in specific casualty counts across the three intercepted boats: three individuals were killed on the first vessel, two on the second, and three on the third [3][5]. Intelligence assessments confirmed that the vessels were operated by groups now categorized as “Designated Terrorist Organizations,” a classification that permits the use of lethal force outside standard law enforcement engagement rules [2][4]. This military action follows a directive to dismantle what the administration describes as narco-terrorist infrastructure threatening the homeland [4].
Legislative Measures and Narcotics Classification
Coinciding with the naval strikes, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday formally designating fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as weapons of mass destruction [4]. This executive action reinforces the administration’s justification for the military escalation, positioning the flow of opioids not merely as a criminal issue but as a national security threat comparable to chemical warfare [4]. Secretary Hegseth defended the lethal approach, stating that the intent is to destroy “narco-boats” and the individuals trafficking lethal drugs, asserting that every trafficker eliminated is affiliated with a terrorist organization [4].
Regional Geopolitics and Congressional Oversight
The campaign’s scope has expanded beyond interdiction to include direct pressure on state actors, specifically the Venezuelan government. In a significant escalation the previous week, US forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker accused of smuggling illicit crude, a move tied to the administration’s charges of narcoterrorism against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro [1]. Maduro has contended that these military maneuvers are a pretext to force his removal from office, while the US military maintains its largest regional presence in decades to support these operations [1]. Tensions are expected to dominate the upcoming closed-door briefings on Capitol Hill, where Defense Secretary Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will address lawmakers regarding the strategic objectives and legal frameworks of the ongoing offensive [1].