WASHINGTON

The US on Monday conducted strikes on three vessels allegedly engaged in narco-trafficking in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing eight people on board, the US Southern Command said.

According to Southern Command, the operation took place Monday under the direction of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, executed in international waters by Joint Task Force Southern Spear.

"Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking.

"A total of eight male narco-terrorists were killed during these actions—three in the first vessel, two in the second and three in the third," it said on US social media company X.