The United States military executed a deadly strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Friday, targeting what they believed to be a drug-trafficking operation. This action resulted in the deaths of two suspected narco-terrorists, as confirmed by the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
According to an announcement on social media platform X, SOUTHCOM stated, “On April 24, under the directives of SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike against a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations.”
The post further explained that intelligence had verified the vessel’s movement along established drug-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and confirmed its involvement in such operations. “During this operation, two male narco-terrorists were neutralized,” the statement added. The report also noted that no U.S. military personnel were injured during the strike.
While the U.S. forces have acknowledged the operation and confirmed the fatalities, SOUTHCOM has not yet disclosed further information regarding the identities of the deceased or the specific groups they were affiliated with.
This strike is part of an ongoing initiative by the U.S. military to target and disrupt drug-smuggling vessels linked to cartel activities, with several such operations being conducted in recent months.
The U.S. military has carried out numerous strikes in recent months on suspected drug-smuggling vessels as part of a broader campaign to dismantle cartel-linked trafficking operations.
The strike comes less than a week after SOUTHCOM said it conducted a similar operation in the Caribbean, killing three suspected narco-terrorists.
(L/R) U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Francis L. Donovan and U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd testify during a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on their nominations on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 15, 2026. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Earlier this month, the military struck a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing four alleged narco-terrorists, SOUTHCOM said.
SOUTHCOM is responsible for military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counter-narcotics missions aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks that threaten U.S. interests.
U.S. military operations targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels continue under President Donald Trump. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
The Eastern Pacific remains a key corridor for narcotics trafficking, with cartels often using small, fast-moving vessels to transport drugs toward the U.S. and Central America.
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