It was the first time multiple airstrikes were conducted on the same day as part of the Trump administration’s ramped-up operation against vessels suspected of being involved in drug trafficking. Mexican authorities were responsible for coordinating the search and rescue for one survivor, Hegseth said.
Mexican authorities did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment, CNN reported.
There were three attacks in the Pacific on Monday, including one on two ships at the same time, bringing the total number of known attacks by the U.S. military against suspected drug-smuggling vessels to 13 since early September. To date, these operations have destroyed a total of 14 boats, resulting in 57 deaths and a total of 3 survivors.
Last week, the U.S. military carried out its first airstrikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean, marking an expansion of its previous seven airstrikes, all of which had targeted ships in the Caribbean.
A U.S. attack on a ship in the Caribbean earlier this month also did not kill all the crew members. The U.S. Navy initially detained two survivors of the incident, but the Trump administration quickly repatriated them to their home countries of Ecuador and Colombia.
The situation posed a legal and policy dilemma, as it was unclear what legal authority the U.S. military could cite to detain survivors indefinitely.
The Trump administration has drafted a secret legal opinion seeking to justify lethal attacks on a secret and extensive list of suspected cartels and drug traffickers.
Master’s degree/PR