U.S. Forces Sink Suspected Drug-Smuggling Boat Linked to Colombian Rebel Group

The U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, announced that on October 17, 2025, American forces destroyed a vessel suspected of trafficking drugs in international waters.

According to Hegseth, the boat was believed to have ties to Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN), a rebel group accused of funding its operations through drug smuggling.

“Our intelligence indicated that the vessel was being used to transport large quantities of narcotics along known trafficking routes,” Hegseth said.

Footage released by the Pentagon showed the boat engulfed in flames after being struck. Hegseth confirmed that three men onboard were killed, while no U.S. personnel were injured.

He further described ELN as a terrorist organization aligned with Al-Qaeda, saying it has engaged in murder and violent acts that threaten U.S. security interests.

“The United States will treat these groups as terrorist organizations. They will be hunted down and eliminated, just like Al-Qaeda,” Hegseth added.

In September 2025, President Donald Trump had declared a war on maritime drug trafficking, particularly targeting routes from countries like Venezuela.

Since then, U.S. forces have destroyed six vessels, though Venezuelan officials have denounced the operations as part of a broader plot to destabilize their government, denying any involvement in drug smuggling.

Last week, Trump also revealed that he had ordered CIA operatives to enter Venezuela to combat criminal networks and curb the flow of drugs into the United States.