RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT "US SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH VIA X" HANDOUT — EDITORIAL USE ONLY —

SHOTLIST:

OFF CARIBBEAN COAST (OCT. 19, 2025) (US SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH VIA X - RESTRICTED)

1. MOMENT OF US ATTACK ON VESSEL OFF CARIBBEAN COAST — OCT. 19, 2025 RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT "US SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH VIA X" HANDOUT — EDITORIAL USE ONLY — US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Sunday, Oct. 19, that an airstrike was carried out on a ship suspected of drug smuggling and linked to the National Liberation Army (ELN) off the Caribbean coast, following orders from President Donald Trump.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro denied this claim, stating the boat belonged to "fishermen from Santa Marta" and "a humble family, a lover of the sea, from where he extracted his food," and emphasized, "He was a humble human being."

Previous escalations include the US decision to eliminate Colombia from the list of countries that fight against drugs and the revocation of the Colombian president's visa in late September, following statements Petro made during the UN General Assembly week in New York.

With Hegseth's announcement, at least 32 people have been killed in recent strikes, which the US claims are targeting alleged drug traffickers.

The US claims that its operations have dealt a decisive blow to drug trafficking but has provided no evidence that those killed in the attacks were drug traffickers.