Three men were killed in the attack, Hegseth wrote on X late Thursday, saying the attack was carried out at the direction of US President Donald Trump and attacked “a vessel operated by a designated terrorist organization.”
According to Al Jazeera, Hegseth claimed the ship was attacked in international waters and posted an unclassified 20-second video clip showing the ship receiving ammunition and exploding as it hurtled through the ocean.
Hegseth gave no evidence that the ship was involved in drug smuggling, but said such attacks would continue until “narco-terrorists” stopped “poisoning the American people.”
“To all the narco-terrorists who threaten our homeland: If you want to live, stop trafficking drugs. If you continue to traffic deadly drugs, we will kill you,” he said.
The report added that more than 60 people have been killed in US attacks on at least 18 vessels (17 boats and one semi-submarine) in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean since early September.
MNA