Trump targets Petro: US destroys drug boat off Colombian coast

The United States launched a new lethal attack in the Pacific Ocean, increasing diplomatic tensions with Latin America and, particularly, with the Colombian government. The bombing, ordered by President Donald Trump, targeted a ship allegedly linked to drug trafficking, according to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

The attack marks the eighth known U.S. attack since September 2 and comes amid a growing political conflict between Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro , whom the U.S. president has accused of "encouraging drug production."

On October 21, the U.S. Department of War confirmed the destruction of a vessel allegedly operated by a "Designated Terrorist Organization" that was transporting narcotics across the Eastern Pacific, near the Colombian coast.

According to Hegseth, during the attack , "there were two narco-terrorists on board; both were killed, and no U.S. forces were injured."

“The message is clear: narco-terrorists seeking to bring poison to our shores will find no refuge anywhere in our hemisphere,” Hegseth said in a message posted on his official X account.

The attack comes just days after Trump intensified his criticism of the Colombian president . In a message posted on social media on October 19, the US president accused Gustavo Petro of being "an illegal drug kingpin" and announced the suspension of all US economic aid or subsidies to Colombia.

"Petro is doing nothing to stop the massive drug production... he'd better shut down these killing fields immediately, or the United States will shut them down for him," Trump warned, in statements that have raised concerns in Bogotá and heightened tensions between the two governments.