US EditionUS military says at least eight killed in new strikes on alleged drug boats, with survivors abandoning ship
U.S. military strikes on international waters targeted vessels linked to drug trafficking, killing eight and prompting Coast Guard search and rescue, part of 33 strikes this season.
- U.S. Southern Command said it struck five alleged drug-smuggling boats on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31, 2026, killing eight people while others jumped overboard and may have survived.
- Operation Southern Spear, ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, targeted vessels tied to `Designated Terrorist Organizations` as part of the administration's pressure campaign on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
- A video posted by Southern Command showed three boats traveling in close formation before strikes, with Joint Task Force Southern Spear acting at SecWar Pete Hegseth's direction on Dec. 30.
- The U.S. Coast Guard activated search-and-rescue assets after SOUTHCOM notified them, deploying a Coast Guard C-130 and coordinating vessels while legal experts warned of extrajudicial killing risks.
- As part of a broader pressure campaign, the CIA carried out a drone strike last week and the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions alongside a military buildup targeting Tren de Aragua.
160 Articles
160 Articles
8 Killed in Strikes on 5 Suspected Narco Boats in SOUTHCOM
The U.S. military killed eight suspected drug traffickers over two days of strikes, U.S. Southern Command announced this week. On Tuesday, U.S. forces struck three ships operating as a convoy in unspecified international waters as part of Operation Southern Spear. “On Dec. 30, at the direction of Secretary of war Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted kinetic strikes against three narco-trafficking vessels traveling as a convoy,…
The U.S. military once again allegedly attacked drug-loaded boats off the coast of South America, killing five people, according to the responsible Southcom regional commando. "On December 31st, the Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out kinetic attacks on three drug-trafficking ships operating as convoy," reported the U.S. Southern Command. "These ships were operated by terrorist-rated organizations in international waters. Intelligence in…
The U.S. Army has again allegedly sunk boats used for drug smuggling off the coast of South America.
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