US kills three in second strike on alleged drug boats in the Pacific

This is the ninth US strike on alleged drug boats near Latin America, and the second in the Pacific.

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Three people were killed and no US forces were harmed in the strike on Wednesday, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said. It came hours after the US struck another boat in the Pacific, killing two people.

Colombia's government has denounced the US for carrying out strikes on vessels close to its coast, saying the American action was "like applying the death penalty in a territory that is not yours".

Wednesday's strikes were the first in Pacific waters, as most previous attacks were in the Caribbean.

"These strikes will continue, day after day. These are not simply drug runners - these are narco-terrorists bringing death and destruction to our cities," Hegseth posted on X.