The United States military executed a deadly strike on Tuesday targeting a vessel suspected of drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific. This operation resulted in the death of an alleged narco-terrorist, as reported by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
“On May 26, following directives from SOUTHCOM commander General Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched a lethal kinetic strike against a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” SOUTHCOM announced on social media platform X.
The statement further revealed that intelligence reports confirmed the vessel was navigating established drug-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and actively involved in narcotics operations.
The strike led to the death of one alleged narco-terrorist, while two others survived the attack.
SOUTHCOM promptly informed the U.S. Coast Guard to initiate search-and-rescue efforts for the surviving individuals.
The military confirmed that no U.S. personnel suffered injuries during the operation.
SOUTHCOM did not immediately release additional information about those targeted in the operation.
The US military has carried out multiple strikes in recent months targeting suspected drug-smuggling vessels as part of a broader campaign aimed at dismantling cartel-linked trafficking operations.
Tuesday’s strike followed similar operations earlier this month.
SOUTHCOM said it targeted another vessel in the Eastern Pacific on May 8, killing two male narco-terrorists and leaving one survivor.
Days earlier, the military conducted another strike in the Caribbean that killed two suspected traffickers.
The Eastern Pacific and Caribbean are major corridors for narcotics trafficking, with cartels often using small, fast-moving vessels to transport drugs toward the United States and Central America.
SOUTHCOM oversees military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counter-narcotics missions focused on disrupting drug trafficking networks tied to organized crime groups.
