Photo: Alamy
The United States Southern Command said Monday that U.S. forces carried out a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two men it described as “narco-terrorists.”
In a statement posted on social media, the command said the operation was conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear at the direction of Gen. Francis L. Donovan. Officials said intelligence indicated the vessel was traveling along known drug-trafficking routes and was involved in illicit operations.
“Applying total systemic friction on the cartels. On April 13, 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,” U.S. 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. Two male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed,” the statement added.
The military did not identify the group allegedly tied to the vessel and did not provide evidence supporting its claim that the boat was engaged in drug trafficking. Video released by the command showed a small boat moving across open water before being struck by an explosion, sending smoke into the air.
Southern Command said no U.S. personnel were injured. In similar incidents, the military has coordinated with the United States Coast Guard to conduct search-and-rescue operations when survivors are reported.
The strike is part of a broader campaign launched last year targeting vessels suspected of narcotics trafficking in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean. The operations, carried out under what officials describe as an expanded effort against drug cartels, have resulted in at least 170 deaths, according to recent reports.
President Donald Trump has defended the campaign as part of an armed conflict with transnational criminal organizations, arguing that stronger measures are needed to curb drug flows into the United States.