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On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth briefed members of Congress at the Capitol in Washington about recent military actions near Venezuela. (Photo by Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)
WASHINGTON – The U.S. military announced on Thursday that it executed two additional strikes targeting boats allegedly involved in drug smuggling operations in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of five individuals.
The U.S. Southern Command shared on social media that intelligence reports confirmed these vessels were navigating well-known drug trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and participating in narcotics operations. The command supported its claims by sharing videos of the boats speeding through the water moments before a fiery explosion hit them, though it did not provide further evidence.
According to military reports, the strikes resulted in the deaths of three individuals on one boat and two on the other.
These recent actions have raised the total number of boat strikes to 28, with at least 104 fatalities reported, based on figures released by the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has defended these operations as a critical measure to curb the drug influx into the United States, describing the situation as an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.
The administration is facing increasing scrutiny from lawmakers over the boat strike campaign. The first attack in early September involved a follow-up strike that killed two survivors clinging to the wreckage of a boat after the first hit.
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