US Launches Deadly Strike on Alleged Drug Boat, Believed to Be the First in Two Months
SOUTHCOM said confirmed intelligence showed the vessel was involved in narco-trafficking, and the strike resumed a campaign that has killed more than 200 people.
- On Sunday, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere executed a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two people and marking the first known strike in more than two months.
- The military launched "Operation Southern Spear" in September 2025, claiming an "armed conflict" against cartels; prior to the pause, the campaign destroyed at least 67 vessels and killed at least 221 people.
- Earlier this month, Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine urged the White House to cease what he called an "illegal, costly and ineffective" operation, citing classified information that strikes likely killed "individuals who are not involved in narcotrafficking."
- SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan defended the mission Monday, stating, "We are committed to imposing total systemic friction on narco-terrorists." The administration justifies strikes against "unlawful combatants" via classified Justice Department findings.
- Legal experts and rights groups argue the strikes could amount to extrajudicial killings, as the administration has not provided evidence linking vessels to trafficking. Some members of Congress advocate returning to traditional prosecution policies.
187 Articles
187 Articles
U.S. Military Kills Two in Drug Trafficking Strike
American forces destroyed a suspected narco-trafficking boat in the Eastern Pacific on Sunday, killing two people on board, the latest in dozens of such strikes carried out during President Trump's second term. U.S. Southern Command announced Monday that Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere carried out the lethal strike on August 23 against what it called a "low-profile vessel" traveling along known drug smuggling routes. Intelligence had confirm…
US kills two in Pacific 'narco boat' strike bringing total to 223
The US has killed two people in a so-called ‘narco’ boat strike, bringing the total since September to 223. These strikes follow reports alleging that the CIA and/or its contractors attacked three vessels near the Galapagos in March and January 2026. The US military’s Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) posted a section of a video showing the strike […] By Joe Glenton
US military kills 2 people in attack on boat in Pacific
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military killed two men in a strike against a boat in the eastern Pacific that it said was transporting narcotics, U.S. Southern Command announced early Monday. It was the first such strike by the military since June 21. The post US military kills 2 people in attack on boat in Pacific appeared first on West Hawaii Today.
The U.S. military announced on Monday that it carried out an attack on an alleged vessel used for drug trafficking in the Pacific Ocean, in which two people were killed.
United States Military Conducts Missile Strike on Alleged Drug Boat, Killing Two 'Narco-Terrorists'
The United States Southern Command late Sunday conducted its first deadly missile strike on an alleged drug boat in months, which it claimed killed two "narco-terrorists." The command said Monday that the lethal attack was against a low-profile vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific, and that intelligence confirmed that the boat was engaged in narco-trafficking.
U.S. Military Kills Two in Drug Vessel Strike
The U.S. military killed two suspected narco-traffickers in a strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, the first such attack announced by Southern Command in more than two months. Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere carried out the lethal strike on Sunday, August 23, targeting a low-profile vessel traveling established narco-trafficking routes, U.S. Southern Command announced the following day. Gen. Francis L. Donovan, the SOUTHCOM commander, …
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