By “El Huaso” for Borderland Beat
On 28 October, the United States Secretary of War announced it conducted strikes against four boats allegedly trafficking drugs in the Eastern Pacific, killing a total of 14 alleged traffickers. The strikes left one survivor, who the Mexican navy unsuccessfully attempted to rescue at the request of the US Coast Guard.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in her morning news conference “we do not agree with these interventions. We have a model, a protocol that has given many results”. She stated that she asked the United States to coordinate with Mexican authorities to detain alleged traffickers instead of striking them. She stated that while the strike was near Mexico, it was in international waters.
The video of the four boat strikes was shared on Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s Twitter.
The following day, Sheinbaum met with US Ambassador Ronald Johnson and top Mexican officials to discuss the event, later describing the meeting as cordial, while disagreeing with the strikes.
The Trump Administration has destroyed fifteen alleged drug trafficking boats since early September. The attacks started on the Caribbean sea, mostly near Venezuela. This strike occurred 400 miles southwest of Acapulco – the closest strike to Mexico so far. In the initial weeks of the strikes, most occurred in the Caribbean sea. Now, the regional scope has shifted – out of eight strikes since 21 Oct, seven have occurred in the Pacific Ocean. The US is most likely using Reaper MQ-9 drones to target the boats.
Latin American leaders have been mostly quiet about the attacks, with the exception of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, and now Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who have voiced disagreement with the attacks.
Within the United States, some politicians have called the attacks unconstitutional, violating due process, and questioning the evidence used to determine whether a boat is carrying narcotics or not. Despite the objections, the strikes remain popular among American voters. In October, a poll found that 71% of polled voters approve of the strikes.
The combined popularity of the strikes, minimal pushback from Latin American leaders, and Trump’s confidence following the Gaza – Israel deal, make it a certainty that the strikes will continue, increase in pace, and likely target Venezuelan land soon.