The United States launched new strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in Latin American waters, deepening a pressure campaign in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the strikes took place on Monday in international waters. According to Hegseth, three separate strikes targeted suspected drug boats, leaving 14 people dead and one survivor.
On Wednesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that despite several search operations, the Mexican navy was unable to rescue the sole survivor of what she called a U.S. attack on suspected drug-trafficking vessels.
During her morning press conference, Sheinbaum said Mexico's navy assisted in the search for humanitarian reasons.
"I raised the issue with the Navy secretary and the foreign minister so these matters could be reviewed together," Sheinbaum said. "As you know, we want all international treaties to be respected, and we do not agree with how these attacks are being carried out."
Members of the Mexican navy conducted maritime search and rescue operations that extended more than 400 miles southwest of the port of Acapulco.
En cumplimiento del Convenio Internacional para la Seguridad de la Vida Humana en el Mar (SOLAS) y tras la solicitud de Guardia Costera de EE. UU., la Armada de México atiende una operación de búsqueda y rescate marítimo a más de 400 millas al suroeste de Acapulco (830 km) con el… pic.twitter.com/uEsARDGBmA
— SEMAR México (@SEMAR_mx) October 28, 2025
According to a CNN report, Sheinbaum said the rescue efforts were unsuccessful and that the Mexican government still does not know the nationalities of the 14 people killed in the strike.
Sheinbaum defended the rescue effort, reiterating that it was carried out on humanitarian grounds, and said Mexico would not rule out participating in similar missions in the future.
"The goal is to ensure these operations continue in a way that respects our sovereignty and prevents actions of this kind within our economic zone," Sheinbaum said.
The latest airstrikes bring the number of vessels attacked by U.S. forces to at least 13 since the campaign began in early September, with an officially confirmed death toll of 51.
Sheinbaum also voiced strong disagreement with the U.S. government's actions and urged Washington to revise its anti-drug protocols in international waters.
"We do not agree with these interventions, and we already have a protocol that has delivered results," Sheinbaum said, according to CNN. "If the United States detects a boat allegedly carrying drugs in international waters, coordination should take place so that Mexican authorities or U.S. agencies detain the suspects, not destroy the vessels."
The president said she has asked Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente to meet with U.S. Ambassador Ron Johnson to discuss the issue.
"I asked him to meet with the ambassador to emphasize that what we want is an improved protocol, within the framework of our existing security agreements with the United States," Sheinbaum said.
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