Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that, at President Trump’s direction, the Pentagon carried out another “lethal kinetic strike” on a vessel in the eastern Pacific that killed four men — the 14th such strike in recent months against alleged drug-running boats.

Hegseth characterized the targets as narco‑trafficking vessels operated by a “Designated Terrorist Organization” and defended the operations as intelligence‑driven.

Lawmakers have raised concerns about transparency and congressional approval, while the presidents of Colombia and Mexico have criticized the strikes, NBC News has reported.

Trump has hinted the campaign could expand to land targets, and Hegseth has likened the effort to countering Al Qaeda by mapping and hunting smuggling networks.