Hegseth says US carried out 3 strikes on alleged drug-running boats in eastern Pacific, killing 14 - Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

US Carries Out Three Strikes in Eastern Pacific, Killing 14 and Leaving One Survivor

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a significant escalation in US military operations against suspected drug-running boats in the Eastern Pacific on Monday. The strikes, which were carried out over three separate incidents, resulted in the deaths of at least 14 people and left one survivor.

The recent string of strikes marks a continued increase in the pace of these operations, with multiple incidents announced in a single day for the first time. Hegseth took to social media to announce the strikes, posting footage that showed two boats exploding into flames as they moved through the water.

According to Hegseth, the four vessels targeted by the US military were known to be transiting along narco-trafficking routes and carrying narcotics. The deaths brought the total number of fatalities from the 13 disclosed strikes since early September to at least 57 people.

Hegseth drew parallels between the US military's actions against drug trafficking and the war on terrorism following the 9/11 attacks, stating that cartels "have killed more Americans than Al-Qaeda" and will be treated as such. This stance has been backed by President Donald Trump, who has claimed that the United States is engaged in an "armed conflict" with drug cartels.

However, there is no evidence to support the US claims about the boats' connection to drug cartels or the identity of those killed in the strikes. Critics have questioned the legality and justification of these operations, highlighting the lack of transparency and due process for those affected.

As the situation continues to unfold, concerns are growing about the impact of these strikes on regional stability and the potential consequences for civilian lives.

omg ppl r really gonna lose it when they find out what's REALLY goin on over there 14 dead is just a drop in the bucket compared to how many lives r lost cuz of cartels i mean idc about pete hegseth makin these statements, we need transparency & answers ASAP not just some video clippings posted online 57 ppl already dead what's next? are we just gonna keep bombin boats w/o any regard for human life?

The more I read about this, the more I feel like we're lost in a never-ending cycle of retaliation & revenge. 57 people, 14 killed, and only ONE survivor? How can we justify calling these actions "strikes" when they're essentially just gunning down innocent folks on boats? We're talking about a war that's all about perceived threats, not real ones. It feels like the US is trying to create an enemy out of thin air, and then killing off anyone who gets in their way. The fact that they can't even provide proof of what these boats were doing is just icing on the cake. It's like we're witnessing a game of "Blind Man's Bluff" where everyone's just making stuff up as they go along

Ugh, what's going on with this US military?! They're just swooping in there like they own the place, killing people left and right without so much as a second thought. I mean, I get it, drugs are bad and all that, but do we really need to be treating them like enemy combatants?!

And what's with this 'four vessels targeted' business? How can you even know that?! Have they got some kind of secret radar system or something? It just feels so... sketchy. And now we're hearing about how these strikes have been going on for weeks and no one's said a word? Where's the transparency, people?!

And then there's this whole 'war on terrorism' thing. I mean, come on! We're talking about boat-borne narco-trafficking here, not Al-Qaeda. It's like they're trying to paint everyone in the same box just so we'll give them a free pass. Newsflash: it doesn't work that way!

I'm seriously worried about what this is going to do to regional stability. Are we really going to let our governments decide who lives and dies without any oversight?! It's like they're playing some kind of high-stakes game and we're all just pawns.

I'm getting a bad vibe from this one. The US is playing with fire over here. Those cartels may be ruthless, but taking out suspected traffickers in the Eastern Pacific? It's like throwing a grenade into a crowded room without thinking about who might get caught in the crossfire . I mean, we're talking 14 lives lost and one survivor. That's not just collateral damage, that's a whole lot of innocent people getting hurt for what? To make a point about cartels being as deadly as terrorists? It's all just a bit too calculated for my taste . Where's the nuance here? Where's the diplomacy?

I dont think its good that US military is getting involved in this way... I mean they're supposed to protect us from terrorism, not just random people in boats who might be carrying some stuff. We need to know more about what's really going on and why they're targeting these specific boats. It sounds like a big mess and we should try to figure out what's the best way to handle it... maybe we can learn from past mistakes, like in Afghanistan or Iraq?

I'm getting super uneasy about this escalation in US military ops against suspected drug-running boats in the Eastern Pacific... Like, what's the real deal here? We're talking about civilians, not enemy combatants, right? And those claims that cartels are worse than Al-Qaeda? Come on, have we been living under a rock? Where's the evidence to back this up? And I'm also worried about the lack of transparency and due process... it's like they're just blowing smoke without a care in the world . Can someone please get some facts to the table before we start throwing around charges and labels?

I'm really worried about the US military's actions in the Eastern Pacific . They're saying it's all about taking down narco-trafficking boats, but what about the people caught in the middle? We don't know anything about the boats they were on or who they were carrying - it sounds like a bunch of assumptions to me .

And what's with the "four vessels targeted" part? That sounds like some scripted speech to me . I mean, how can we trust that they actually took out narco-trafficking boats when there's no evidence? It just seems like more of an excuse for military action .

I also don't buy into the comparison with Al-Qaeda . That's a huge leap to take. We need facts, not hypotheticals about cartels and terrorism . And what about the people who were on those boats? Did they deserve to die just because of their proximity to narco-trafficking routes? It's all so... murky .

We should be talking about accountability and transparency here , not just blindly following orders from politicians. We need more questions than answers .

I'm getting really worried about this escalating situation in the Eastern Pacific . The US is basically saying that they're going to take matters into their own hands and just start targeting people on the water without any real evidence or due process. It's like they're creating a war zone out there, with civilians caught in the middle . And what really gets me is how quickly this has escalated – multiple incidents on the same day? It feels like we're just seeing a new level of aggression from the US military .

The more I read about this, the more questions I have about where all these people came from and who they were in the first place. It's not clear to me what 'narco-trafficking routes' even means or how the US knows for sure that these boats were carrying narcotics . And then we have Hegseth drawing parallels with the war on terrorism, but isn't that just a cop-out? The stakes are so different here – it's not like these people were blowing up planes or killing innocent bystanders.

We need more transparency and accountability from our leaders here, or else we're just going to create even more chaos in the region .

omg this is getting crazy ! i mean, 14 people dead and only one survivor? it's like they're trying to send a message or something. but is it even justified? i dont think so... all we know is that these boats were allegedly carrying narcotics, which isnt exactly news or anything new in the world of drug trafficking. shouldn't we be talking about solving the root problem instead of just taking out the symptoms with missiles? and btw, what's with the whole "cartels have killed more americans than al-qaeda" thing? that's just not true... isn't it?

omg, i'm so down for the US taking action against those narco-trafficking boats!! it's like, they have to protect us from all the drugs and violence coming from mexico anyway, i'm not really worried about the civilians getting hurt or anything because, like, the US military knows what they're doing and pete hegseth is totes on point with his "war on terrorism" analogy we gotta stand behind our troops and do whatever it takes to keep us safe

gotta wonder how this is gonna play out... all these strikes without concrete evidence? it's like they're trying to send a message, but who's really being targeted here? the cartels might be bad, but we can't just assume everyone on those boats is involved. we need to see more proof before we start sending in the big guns...

I'm not convinced by this latest escalation in US military ops against suspected drug runners . I mean, we're still seeing a lot of grey areas here - no concrete evidence to back up these claims, and how do we know these people were even involved with cartels? It feels like we're jumping to conclusions without all the facts . And what about the impact on regional stability? We're talking about innocent lives lost, including civilians who might not have had anything to do with the alleged narcotics . Can't we try to address these issues through diplomacy and international cooperation instead of relying on military force ?

this is getting crazy - 14 people dead, one survivor... what's going on over there? it seems like they're just trying to flex their muscles a bit too much , but at what cost? i'm not saying we shouldn't do anything about the cartels, but this is taking it to a whole new level...

here's a simple flowchart of how i see it:
```
+---------------+
| US Military |
| Strikes Boat |
+---------------+
|
|
v
+---------------+
| Death Toll |
| +14 people |
| +1 survivor |
+---------------+

+---------------+
| Regional |
| Stability |
| Concerns |
+---------------+
```
i'm no expert, but it seems like we need to be careful here...

The recent US military strikes in the Eastern Pacific have really got me thinking... While I get that they're trying to take down those boats suspected of carrying narcotics, I'm not convinced it's entirely justified. They keep talking about the cartels being like Al-Qaeda, but honestly, how do we know who was on those boats and what their connection is? It's all a bit sketchy, if you ask me.

And can we talk about transparency for a sec? I mean, the US is always going on about due process, but when it comes to these strikes, they're pretty tight-lipped. That's got me wondering what really went down and who's really behind all this.

I'm not saying the cartels aren't a problem – they totally are! But we need to be careful not to go around killing people without knowing for sure who they are or what they're doing. That's just not how it works, right?

OMG, like I was watching this news while I'm supposed to be studying for my exams lol . But seriously, I'm really worried about all those innocent people who got caught in the crossfire. Like, what if they weren't even involved with cartels? It's not fair that we're just treating everyone as a potential threat without knowing what's going on.

And can you believe the defense secretary is drawing parallels between this and 9/11? Like, that's such an extreme comparison . I don't know about anyone else, but I think it's pretty clear that these US military operations are more about show of force than actual justice.

I'm just glad there was at least one survivor, you know? That gives me hope that not everyone is a lost cause . But still, we need to make sure we're doing this right and getting the facts straight before we start acting like vigilantes. This whole thing feels really sketchy to me .

this is so sad 14 people lost their lives in one day it's crazy how the US military just went ahead and carried out these strikes without anyone knowing what was going on beforehand like, what about due process? shouldn't they at least be told who they're getting into a firefight with?

omg can't believe they're using military force like this at least 57 people already dead and still no clear evidence that it's even justified? and now Pete Hegseth is drawing parallels to the war on terror like, yeah okay dude we get it you really care about national security but what about due process and transparency? shouldn't we be trying to stop cartels through diplomacy or something instead of just blowing up boats with drones and btw 14 people died in these three strikes? that's a pretty big body count

man, it's like they're trying to recreate the situation in Colombia back in the 80s I remember watching those movies with Arnold Schwarzenegger, where he was like a total boss taking down cartels... but now it's real life and people are losing their lives . And what's up with drawing parallels between this and the war on terror? That reminds me of when Obama was president and we had drones killing folks in Yemen . It's just not right, you know? We're supposed to be fighting for freedom, not blowing up boats and killing innocent people . Can't we just talk it out instead of going all guns blazing?

imagine you're in a boat, just chillin' on the water... then BAM! two explosions and you're like, "what's goin' on?!?"

anyway... the US is tryna crack down on cartels and it's not lookin' good . I mean, we all wanna keep our communities safe, but do we really need to be killin' people over this?

the gov's gotta show us what they're workin' with, tho . transparency is key... or else we'll just be like "wait, what's the real story here?"

can't even say whether these strikes are legit or not... but one thing's for sure: civilians got to be worried