WASHINGTON – On Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth disclosed the occurrence of recent assaults on vessels implicated in drug trafficking activities, resulting in the deaths of six individuals on two boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

These coordinated attacks on Sunday have increased the total number of acknowledged operations to 19, with the death toll rising to at least 75. This is part of an initiative launched by the Trump administration to curb drug smuggling in South American waters, which some view as an attempt to exert pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

“Our intelligence has identified these boats as part of narcotics smuggling operations, carrying illegal substances along a well-known trafficking route,” Hegseth shared via social media platforms.

The Trump administration has yet to present evidence supporting these claims, prompting lawmakers from both parties to demand further clarification on the selection of targets and the legal grounds for these military actions.

Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Hegseth held discussions with a bipartisan group of legislators responsible for national security. This meeting offered one of the first comprehensive insights into the legal reasoning and strategic framework guiding the strikes.

While Democrats said it wasn’t enough, Senate Republicans voted a day later to reject legislation that would have put a check on President Donald Trump’s ability to launch an attack against Venezuela without congressional authorization.

The strikes began in early September and have targeted vessels largely in the Caribbean Sea but have increasingly shifted to those in the eastern Pacific, where much of the cocaine from the world’s largest producers is smuggled. The Trump administration also has build up a massive military force in South American waters, including ordering an aircraft carrier to the region.

Trump has justified the strikes by saying the United States is in “armed conflict” with drug cartels and claiming the boats are operated by foreign terror organizations that are flooding America’s cities with drugs.

The strikes and military footprint have raised speculation about an effort to oust Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism in the United States. The Venezuelan leader has said the U.S. government is “fabricating” a war against him.

In the latest strikes, Hegseth posted a video — as has become customary — showing one boat floating before exploding in a fireball. The footage cuts to what appears to be another boat moving through the water, and it looks to be carrying packages. There is a blast, and flames and smoke pour from the boat.