Three dead in anti-drug trafficking operation in the Caribbean.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on Saturday that three "narcoterrorists" were killed in a new attack against a vessel allegedly involved in drug trafficking in Caribbean waters.

The US Secretary of Defense announced via social media that, "on the orders of President [Donald] Trump, the War Department conducted a lethal strike against another drug trafficking vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization [DTO] in the Caribbean."

The vessel was known “to our intelligence services for its involvement in the illicit smuggling of narcotics, it was transiting a known drug trafficking route and transporting narcotics,” added the official, who today traveled from Malaysia, where he participated in the ASEAN summit, to Vietnam.

According to Hegseth, " three narcoterrorists were on board " and were killed in the attack, which, according to the US official, took place in international waters.

“No members of the American forces were injured,” he added, reiterating that drug traffickers “are bringing drugs” onto the shores of the United States to “poison Americans in their own country, and they will not succeed. The Department will treat them EXACTLY as we treat Al-Qaeda. We will continue to track them, locate them, search for them, and eliminate them.”

The latest attack by US forces, who have been patrolling Caribbean waters for months, was carried out last Wednesday against another vessel that Washington linked to drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific, in an operation that killed four people on board.

Similar to Saturday's report, Hegseth also stated at the time that the vessel had been identified by intelligence services and that it was "traveling along a known drug trafficking route and transporting narcotics."

"Four male narcoterrorists were on board the ship and died," Hegseth added.

With this latest attack, the number of vessels destroyed by the United States in international waters rises to 16, some in the Pacific, with the summary execution of their occupants. The US administration has repeatedly linked these vessels to drug trafficking activities since the beginning of the Southern Command's military campaign, which initially focused on the Caribbean, near Venezuelan waters.

Last week, US President Donald Trump stated that he does not rule out attacks on ground targets in Venezuela and Colombia, justifying them with the alleged fight against drug trafficking, adding that if he carries out such maneuvers, he will notify Congress.