Photo: Alamy
The U.S. military carried out another strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, killing four people in what officials described as the latest operation targeting suspected drug trafficking activity.
The strike marks the fourth such attack announced in recent days as part of an ongoing campaign led by U.S. Southern Command to disrupt maritime drug routes in Latin American waters. The operation began more than seven months ago and has continued alongside U.S. military activity in the Middle East.
According to the military, the targeted vessel was operating along known trafficking corridors and was believed to be involved in illicit drug transport. Officials said the boat was “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” and that intelligence indicated it was engaged in narco-trafficking operations, though no supporting evidence was publicly released.
“On April 14, 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,” Southern Command posted to X.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Four male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed,” the post concluded.
Video released by U.S. Southern Command shows the vessel moving through open water before being struck and exploding.
The latest operation brings the total number of deaths linked to the campaign to about 175 since it began in early September. A search for one survivor from a weekend strike has been suspended, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
President Donald Trump has described the campaign as part of an armed conflict with drug cartels in Latin America, arguing that the use of force is necessary to stem the flow of narcotics into the United States and reduce overdose deaths.