STORY: The U.S. military carried out a strike against a suspected drug vessel late on Tuesday in Pacific Ocean waters off of South America, a U.S. official told Reuters on Wednesday (October 22).

The strike is the first known U.S. military operation in the Pacific since the Trump administration started a new offensive against the drug trade that has led to at least seven strikes in the Caribbean and dramatically raised U.S. tensions with Venezuela and Colombia.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not provide further details but said there were several people - suspected to be smugglers - on the vessel when it was struck.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The latest strike, which was first reported by CBS News, comes against the backdrop of a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean that includes guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine and around 6,500 troops.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO SHARED BY U.S. SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH WHICH PURPORTEDLY SHOWS U.S. STRIKE HITTING A VESSEL CONDUCTING NARCO-TRAFFICKING IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: REFILING TO CLARIFY SOURCE OF VIDEO

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION (RELEASED ON OCTOBER 22, 2025) (SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH VIA X - No resale/ No archive / Must on-screen courtesy Secretary of War Pete Hegseth via X) (MUTE)

1. STRIKE ON VESSEL

INTERNET (OCTOBER 22, 2025) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE - Access all) (MUTE)

2. SOCIAL MEDIA POST BY SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH (READING) (English):" Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel being operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization and conducting narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific. The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route, and carrying narcotics. There were two narco-terrorists aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters. Both terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike. Narco-terrorists intending to bring poison to our shores, will find no safe harbor anywhere in our hemisphere. Just as Al Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people. There will be no refuge or forgiveness—only justice."

UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION (RELEASED ON OCTOBER 22, 2025) (SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH VIA X - No resale/ No archive / Must on-screen courtesy Secretary of War Pete Hegseth via X) (MUTE)

3. VARIOUS AERIAL VIEWS SAID TO SHOW A U.S. STRIKE AGAINST A VESSEL CONDUCTING NARCO-TRAFFICKING IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC