The U.S. military said Sunday that it carried out another lethal strike against a vessel in the Caribbean allegedly linked to narco-trafficking, killing four people aboard.
According to U.S. Southern Command, the boat was traveling along “established narco-trafficking routes” in the Caribbean. The military released video showing what appeared to be an explosion that destroyed a moving boat identified as a go-fast vessel.
“Under the direction of U.S. Southern Command, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere executed a lethal, kinetic strike on a go-fast vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean,” the military said in a statement.
The U.S. military said a lethal strike hit another Caribbean vessel allegedly involved in drug trafficking, killing four people on board. (U.S. Southern Command)
Southern Command said intelligence indicated that the vessel was “actively involved in narco-trafficking.” The military did not release evidence supporting the allegation.
“The operation killed four narco-terrorists,” the statement said.
The strike is the latest operation the Trump administration has defended as part of an effort to eliminate alleged narco-terrorists. More than 235 people have died in strikes carried out since September 2025, according to the reported toll.
U.S. Southern Command said the vessel was traveling along “established narco-trafficking routes” in the Caribbean. (U.S. Southern Command)
The Pentagon has declined since last year to identify those killed in the strikes. It has also not provided evidence that the targeted vessels were carrying drugs.
The administration has faced scrutiny from Democrats and some Republicans, including Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has raised concerns about the prospect of killing people without due process and the risk of innocent people being caught in the attacks.
Human rights organizations have also condemned the strikes, describing them as “extrajudicial killings.”
The military released video showing what appeared to be an explosion that destroyed a moving boat described as a go-fast vessel. (U.S. Southern Command)
The administration is negotiating agreements with allied countries that would expand its military operations onto land in several Latin American nations. During a visit to Panama in August, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to permit joint U.S. military operations against criminal groups on their territory. Guatemala, however, denied reaching such an agreement.
Ecuador began similar joint operations with the United States in March.
