Under the leadership of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon has escalated its military campaign against drug cartels operating in South America. For over a year, U.S. forces have been actively engaging in operations to neutralize maritime assets used for drug smuggling. These efforts, which span both sides of the continent, involve the destruction of vessels suspected of transporting narcotics.

Recent tactical shifts include the interdiction and subsequent destruction of refueling vessels located off the coast of Ecuador. This strategy aims to disrupt the logistics chain that allows drug-running boats to operate over long distances. Additionally, U.S. special operations forces have reportedly increased their presence in the region to support these interdiction missions. While the Pentagon characterizes these actions as a necessary expansion of the war on drugs, the operations represent a significant increase in the use of kinetic military force against non-state actors in the Western Hemisphere.