US EditionUS military says at least eight killed in new strikes on alleged drug boats, with survivors abandoning ship
The U.S. military’s strikes targeted a convoy involved in narcotics transfers, killing three and marking at least 33 boat attacks and 110 fatalities since September, officials said.
- 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.
197 Articles
197 Articles
US Attacks 5 Boats, Saying Rescuers Looked for Survivors
The US military has reported striking five boats the Trump administration says were smuggling drugs over two days, killing a total of eight people while others jumped overboard and may have survived. US Southern Command did not reveal where the attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday occurred. A video of Tuesday's...
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…
Coast Guard Hunts for Survivors After Strike on Drug Boats
Screenshot from a video posted by U.S. Southern Command on Dec. 31, 2025. The U.S. Coast Guard is currently searching for eight “narco-terrorist” survivors following deadly U.S. military strikes on suspected drug vessels on December 30 and December 31. According to X posts by the U.S. Southern Command, “five narco-terrorists” were killed in a “lethal kinetic strike on two vessels” on December 31, and several others were killed in a three-vessel …
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