VLAD DUTHIERS:
00:00:00
And there were two new strikes on boats the Pentagon says were carrying drugs from Latin America. But these happened in the Pacific. We're going to start with Charlie D'Agata on those strikes. Charlie, good morning. Good morning, Vlad. These most recent strikes opened a new front in President Trump's military campaign against drug cartels, which his administration has compared to Al-Qaeda. Videos released by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Wednesday show boats in two separate military strikes. One vessel half loaded with black bundles. The second leaving behind parcels in the water after it burst into flames. We have the greatest weapons in the world and you see a little bit of it there. One shot. Everyone dead center.
CHARLIE D'AGATA:
00:00:41
These are the first two strikes announced in the Pacific, totaling nine known strikes in less than two months. One boat was taken out in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the other off the coast of Colombia, which produces 90% of the cocaine that eventually IS sold in the United States. At least 37 people have been killed in the strikes so far. The president argues, thousands more have been saved. Every one of those boats that gets knocked out is saving 25,000 American lives.
CHARLIE D'AGATA:
00:01:12
But the White House released no evidence about who was on board the boats, or what exactly they were carrying at the time. If the United States military is going to use lethal force, basically, no trial, we're just going to fire the shots and kill people, you need to be 100% clear on why, what you're doing, and what it's supposed to be accomplishing. There is no clarity on that coming from the White House.
CHARLIE D'AGATA:
00:01:36
The administration has designated the cartels as terrorist organizations and claims the strikes are legitimate because the US is engaged in an armed conflict. On Wednesday, Trump said his war on cartels may soon expand further. We will hit them very hard when they come in by land. And they haven't experienced that yet, but now, we're totally prepared to do that. So the president said he'll probably go to Congress before taking measures on land, something he has not done with the prior boat strikes. Stating, he has the authority to carry those out. He claims cartels are slowing their water operations because of US military operations. Nate. Charlie, thank you.
