WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced another deadly U.S. strike on a boat he said was trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean Sea.
The attack Thursday killed three people aboard the vessel, Hegseth said, bringing the death toll from the Trump administration’s campaign in South American waters up to at least 69 people in at least 17 strikes.
Hegseth posted a 20-second video of the strike on social media and wrote, “As we’ve said before, vessel strikes on narco-terrorists will continue until their ... poisoning of the American people stops.” He claimed the vessel was “operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization.”
President Donald Trump has justified the strikes by saying the United States is in “armed conflict” with drug cartels and claiming the boats are operated by foreign terror organizations. The administration has not provided evidence or more details.
Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed a small group of congressional leaders Wednesday on the growing military campaign, providing one of the first high-level glimpses into the legal rationale and strategy behind the strikes.
Republicans emerged either staying silent or expressing confidence in the campaign. Democrats said Congress needs more information on how the strikes are conducted and the legal justification for actions that critics say violate international and U.S. law by killing alleged drug smugglers on the high seas.
On Thursday, Senate Republicans voted to reject legislation that would have put a check on Trump’s ability to launch an attack against Venezuela, as Democrats pressed Congress to take a stronger role in Trump’s high-stakes campaign against President Nicolás Maduro.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gestures while speaking during the FOX Nation Patriot Awards event Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in Greenvale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
VIENNA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 7, 2025--
AOP Health continues to advance its clinical research program in myeloproliferative neoplasms, a special group of rare blood cancers. The company, specialized in rare diseases, presented the results of two scientific investigations at the 67 th American Society of Hematology Association (ASH) Annual Meeting 2025 held in Orlando, FL, USA. The results provide new insights in treatment strategies.
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ROP-ET and BESREMI PASS
One of the clinical studies, ROP-ET, examined the use of ropeginterferon alfa-2b in people with essential thrombocythemia (ET), a disease in which the body produces too many platelets. The trial, a prospective, multicenter, single-arm phase III study, investigated the safety and efficacy of ropeginterferon alfa-2b in ET patients unable to receive available cytoreductive therapies 1.
The other investigation, the BESREMi-PASS study, looked at how the medicine performs in everyday clinical practice among people with polycythemia vera (PV). PV is a rare cancer of the blood-building stem cells in the bone marrow resulting in a chronic increase of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
Solutions for unmet medical need
Both studies provide new insights into how ropeginterferon alfa-2b may help people living with these chronic blood cancers.
Martin Steinhart, CEO of AOP Health, concludes: “AOP Health was founded to address unmet patient needs in rare indications. Our continued investment in research and development is a testament to that commitment, resulting in new findings that we are now proud to share with the scientific community at ASH.”
About Ropeginterferon alfa-2b
Ropeginterferon alfa-2b is the first interferon approved for polycythemia vera, a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN), indicated in the European Union as monotherapy in adults for treatment of polycythaemia vera without symptomatic enlarged spleen.
Ropeginterferon alfa-2b is a long-acting, mono-pegylated proline interferon (ATC L03AB15). It is administered once every 2 weeks initially, or up to every 4 weeks after stabilization of blood values. It is designed to be self-administered subcutaneously with a pre-filled pen.
About AOP Health
AOP Health is a global enterprise group with roots in Austria, where the headquarters of AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals GmbH ("AOP Health") is located. Since 1996, the AOP Health Group has been dedicated to developing innovative solutions to address unmet medical needs, particularly in the fields of rare diseases and intensive care medicine. The group has established itself internationally as a pioneer in integrated therapy solutions and operates worldwide through subsidiaries, representations, and a strong network of partners. With the claim "Needs. Science. Trust." the AOP Health Group emphasizes its commitment to research and development, as well as the importance of building relationships with physicians and patient advocacy groups to ensure that the needs of these stakeholders are reflected in all aspects of the company’s actions. (aop-health.com)
1 Kiladjian JJ, Marin FF, Al-Ali HK, et al. ROP-ET: a prospective phase III trial investigating the efficacy and safety of ropeginterferon alfa-2b in essential thrombocythemia patients with limited treatment options. Annals of Hematology. 2024 Mar 4:1-2.
Needs. Science. Trust.
AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals GmbH
Member of the AOP Health Group
Dr. Martin Steinhart, CEO AOP Health; Photo credit: AOP Health/Studio Koekart
