U.S. Southern Command strike
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The U.S. military said it carried out a deadly strike Thursday against a vessel in the Eastern Pacific that it alleges was being used for drug trafficking, killing three men identified by the command as “narco-terrorists.”

In a statement, U.S. Southern Command said the operation was conducted June 18 by Joint Task Force Southern Spear under the direction of SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan.

“On June 18, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” the command said.

SOUTHCOM said intelligence indicated the vessel was traveling along established narcotics smuggling routes in the Eastern Pacific and was actively involved in drug-trafficking activity.

The command said three suspected traffickers were killed in the strike. It did not specify whether there were any additional people aboard or whether anyone survived.

A photo released by U.S. Southern Command appeared to show the suspected trafficking vessel engulfed in flames after the strike.

SOUTHCOM also released a brief video showing a vessel speeding through the water before erupting in flames. Additional footage appeared to show debris floating in the aftermath of the strike.

SOUTHCOM did not identify the location of the operation beyond saying it occurred along known narcotics-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific.

U.S. Southern Command said a strike conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear targeted a vessel linked to narcotics-trafficking operations. (U.S. Southern Command)

The strike was the latest in a months-long campaign launched by the Trump administration aimed at dismantling cartel-linked trafficking networks.

According to The Associated Press, the latest operation brings the number of people killed in U.S. military strikes targeting vessels since September to at least 211.

The action comes after SOUTHCOM said Tuesday that it carried out a strike in the Eastern Pacific that killed one person it described as a “narco-terrorist.” Two other individuals survived that attack, the military said.

Debris floats in the Eastern Pacific following a U.S. military strike that officials said killed three alleged narco-terrorists. (U.S. Southern Command)

Last week, President Donald Trump announced that SOUTHCOM had “delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike” that killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as Niño Guerrero, the alleged leader of Tren de Aragua.

The U.S. Department of State had previously offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the 42-year-old Venezuelan’s arrest or conviction.

While the military has released videos and statements describing the targeted vessels as linked to designated terrorist organizations, it has generally not publicly released evidence identifying those killed or demonstrating that the vessels were carrying narcotics.

A vessel identified by U.S. Southern Command as operating along known narcotics-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific on June 18, 2026.

A vessel identified by U.S. Southern Command as operating along known narcotics-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific on June 18, 2026. (U.S. Southern Command)

The campaign has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers, legal experts and human rights groups who have questioned the legal basis for using lethal military force against suspected traffickers outside a traditional battlefield.

The Eastern Pacific remains a key corridor for narcotics trafficking, with criminal organizations frequently using small vessels to move drugs toward North America.

SOUTHCOM has played a central role in the Trump administration’s expanded campaign against cartel-linked trafficking networks and transnational criminal organizations.

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