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Three suspected Norco-terrorists were killed in a US strike on a drug-trafficking plant affiliated with Colombia’s National Liberation Army, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Sunday.
A “deadly kinetic strike” took place on Friday in waters off the coast of President Donald Trump, Hegseth wrote in a post on X.
“The vessel was known by our Intelligence to be involved in Ircotic narcotics smuggling, was traveling on a known narcotics smuggling route, and was transporting large quantities of narcotics,” Hegsseth wrote. “There were three male Narco terrorists, they boarded the ship during the strike – which was carried out in international waters.”
“All three terrorists were killed and several were injured in this strike,” he added.
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Hegseth also shared an unverified video showing the moment of the strike.
The ship is linked to Colombia’s national liberation army, known as the Ejército de Livaciación Nacional (Eln), Hegseth said. (War Department)
Colombia’s Ejército de Livación Nacional (Eln) is a designated terrorist organization. Hegseth likened the Colombian rebel group to the Al Qaeda terrorist group founded by Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan.
Hegseth said the ship was smuggling narcotics. (War Department)
“These Cartels are the Al Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere, using violence to enforce their will, threatening our national security,” said Hegseth. “The United States Military will treat these organizations like the terrorists they are – they will be hunted down, they will be killed, like al Qaeda.”
Hegseth attends a meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Toucha group, after a meeting of Natyo Defense ONtonsers at the headquarters of the Alliance, in Brussels, Belgium, on Oct. 15, 2025. (Reuters/Yves Herman)
Colombian President Gustavo Petrod disputed that the ship met the Eln, calling it a ‘humble’ fishing boat.
“Wasn’t the fishing boat from Santa Marta in Eln; it belonged to a humble family, lovers of the sea, what they say to that family?” What does the heart of the country mean? “
“What about the family of the fisherman Alejandro Carranza? He was a humble person,” Petro continued.
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Friday’s strike brings the death toll of Trump’s military campaign against drug-trafficking in the region to at least 31. The operation began last month and is part of Trump’s broader effort to crack down on transnational cartels.
On Thursday, the US military carried out a strike later called “the largest carrier strike” in the Caribbean, killing two more suspected terrorists and capturing two others.
FOX News previously confirmed that two survivors were rescued by the US Navy after the strike was carried out by an American warship.
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A separate strike on Tuesday killed two suspects on a ship off the coast of Venezuela.
FOX News Digital’s Louis Casiano and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
