WASHINGTON – The United States military reported another strike on Friday targeting a vessel allegedly involved in drug smuggling operations in the eastern Pacific Ocean. This latest action resulted in the death of three individuals and marks the third such operation this week, bringing the total number of fatalities in the campaign to over 200.
The U.S. Southern Command disclosed details of the strike, part of an ongoing effort to combat suspected drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific. The command reiterated its stance that the targeted vessel was involved in narcotics trafficking and operated by a recognized terrorist organization, although no specific evidence was provided to support these claims.
Typically, the military accompanies its announcements with video footage of the strikes. Notably, the latest video is the first to be released in color, depicting a small boat on open water before being struck and consumed by a fireball. The footage then transitions to show what appears to be the vessel ablaze, surrounded by scattered parcels or objects floating in the surrounding waters.
With this recent strike, the death toll from these U.S. military operations, which began in early September, now stands at 202. The Trump administration has previously stated that the United States is engaged in an armed conflict against Latin American drug cartels, which they accuse of facilitating the influx of narcotics into the United States.
According to a post on the social media platform X by the U.S. Southern Command, the strike was executed under the directive of Gen. Francis L. Donovan, the leading U.S. military official in Latin America. On the same day, Gen. Donovan also engaged in discussions with Cuban military leaders near the U.S. Navy base located at Guantanamo Bay.
