Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Dec 16: Eight alleged “narco-terrorists” were killed in US military strikes on three suspected drug trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific, American defence officials said on Monday.

According to US Southern Command, the strikes were carried out in international waters and targeted boats believed to be operated by US-designated terrorist groups using known narco-trafficking routes. Three people were killed in the first vessel, two in the second and three in the third.

The latest operation is part of a series of US actions against drug smuggling networks in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean since early September. Officials said the recent strikes take the total number of such operations to 25, with at least 94 people killed so far.
The Trump administration has defended the military action, stating that it is aimed at curbing the flow of fentanyl into the United States. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, remains the leading cause of overdose deaths in the country.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the operations were intended to dismantle narco-trafficking networks and eliminate individuals linked to designated terrorist organisations. On Monday, President Donald Trump also signed an executive order designating fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as weapons of mass destruction.