Name: Latest U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats kill at least 14 people
Uploaded: 2025-10-29T00:13:30.156Z
Duration: 3 min 39 s
Description: The U.S. military struck four more alleged drug vessels on Monday, killing at least 14 people and leaving one survivor. It marks the 11th time in under two months the U.S. has carried out strikes on vessels allegedly trafficking narcotics.

The U.S. military struck four more alleged drug vessels on Monday, killing at least 14 people and leaving one survivor. It marks the 11th time in under two months the U.S. has carried out strikes on vessels allegedly trafficking narcotics.

Caracas

The U.S. military carried out strikes on four suspected drug trafficking vessels, resulting in the deaths of at least 14 individuals and leaving one survivor. This marks the eleventh such operation in under two months, with the total reported death toll now at 57. The strikes occurred approximately 400 miles off the coast of Acapulco, indicating a focus on established drug routes between Colombia and Mexico. 

The Mexican Navy is leading search and rescue efforts for the sole survivor, while the Colombian government has criticized the U.S. for the loss of its civilians. U.S. officials have not provided evidence supporting the claims of narcotics trafficking, and there are reports of CIA operatives in Venezuela. The deployment of significant military assets, including an aircraft carrier, has raised questions about the scope and intent of these operations.

Latest U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats kill at least 14 people

The U.S. military struck four more suspected drug vessels on Monday, killing 14 people and leaving one survivor. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted footage of the operation on social media earlier today. It marks the 11th time in under two months the U.S. has carried out strikes on vessels allegedly trafficking narcotics. The death toll now stands at at least 57. CBS's Charlie Daggett joins us now. Good to see you, sir. You were pointing out that you normally would join us from the Pentagon, but we're not allowed to work out of that building. First time here. Yeah. So, welcome. Thank you. Give us a sense now of this specific situation, because this isn't the first time we've had a survivor during one of these attacks. Do we know what happened to that person who responded to that situation? So right now, where it stands, the Mexican Navy is part of the search and rescue team that's out there. In fact, they're leading it. They haven't recovered this individual. In terms of who it was or who it is, the Colombian government has, again, criticized the United States and the Trump administration for murdering its civilians. It would be a traditional run from Colombia up to Mexico. Importantly—I think this is really important to point out—the search and rescue area is about 400 miles off the coast of Acapulco. This is not off the coast of Colombia. So it stands to reason those are the runs, anyway, where that goes, is, you know, from the Colombian side to the Mexican side, or somewhere in there, and then overground to the United States. So, I think it's interesting that the search and rescue is, again, off the coast of Mexico and not the coast of Colombia. Well, now we see the scope of this widening. So clearly we're tracking—or some element of the United States is tracking these vessels further along than where they were before. And the frequency seems to be picking up. Is this because there are more boats running, or is this because the military seems to be tracking those well-established routes and not taking them out? The second part. It's not because there are more boats running. If anything, there are probably less boats running. But, yes, we have to point out just kind of the geography. There's been a lot of attention in the Caribbean, or Caribbean, off the coast of Venezuela. That has been the bulk of these strikes, without providing any evidence. But we have learned from our president that CIA operatives are on the ground in Venezuela. It stands to reason, anyway. And then they're also looking at the eastern Pacific route, as well. So, if anything, that has probably slowed down in terms of traffic. But it's a big area to cover. But in addition to all the huge military assets that are out there—you know, the destroyers, you've got aircraft, you've got surveillance aircraft—so they are getting much better at pointing out and focusing where these boats are, where they're going from and where they're headed to. But, again, we can only rely on the intelligence that this administration is giving us as journalists and even members of Congress as to whether the people who are on the boats are who they say they are and that they're trafficking what they say they're trafficking. In our remaining 25 seconds or so, the likelihood of land operations in Venezuela? The president hasn't ruled them out. He ruled it out. The commander-in-chief continues to repeat it. He repeated it today in an address to U.S. troops in Japan, that the land is going next. And really important, quickly, the aircraft carrier they're sending, the Ford aircraft carrier—from a military standpoint, you send the tools that are necessary for the job. But when you send an aircraft carrier to a location, that's not drug interdiction. And the largest and newest one we have. The largest and newest, most advanced, etc. It's coming a long way. A lot of people on board, 4,500 troops. You've got aircraft, fighter aircraft, surveillance aircraft. You do that if you're going to launch a bombing campaign against the Houthis, not drug interdiction. Which suggests something more may be afoot, and you'll be tracking them for us, Charlie Dagan. Good to see you, sir.

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