WASHINGTON - The US military destroyed four vessels allegedly transporting narcotics in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday, killing 14 people and leaving one survivor, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday.

"The Department of War carried out three lethal kinetic strikes on four vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific," Hegseth said on social media.

He added that the lone survivor was rescued in a search-and-rescue operation coordinated by Mexican authorities.

Since Sept 2, US forces have sunk 14 vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, resulting in at least 57 deaths.

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On Oct 2, the White House informed the US Congress that the United States is engaged in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels designated as terrorist groups, without naming them.

The strikes have drawn sharp criticism from congressional Democrats. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said the US government "offered no credible legal justification, evidence or intelligence" for the strikes.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly condemned Washington's actions as attempts to overthrow his government and expand the US military influence in Latin America. Earlier this month, Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused the US government of "murder" for killing drug suspects at sea.

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The US administration has also expanded its military presence across the Caribbean. Currently, the US military buildup in the Caribbean is the largest in the region in more than three decades.