The U.S. military carried out a strike on a vessel suspected of narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific on Friday, killing two people and leaving one survivor, U.S. Southern Command said.
In a statement, U.S. Southern Command said the operation was conducted at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear.
According to the command, intelligence confirmed the vessel was travelling along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was actively engaged in illicit drug-trafficking operations.
Southern Command described those killed as “narco-terrorists” and said one individual survived the strike. Following the engagement, the command said it immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate search and rescue procedures for the survivor.
No further details were released regarding the vessel’s origin, destination or the identities of those on board.
U.S. forces have carried out multiple operations targeting suspected narco-trafficking vessels in the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean in recent years, as part of a long-running counter-narcotics campaign led by U.S. Southern Command.
Most missions involve interdictions, seizures and arrests conducted alongside the U.S. Coast Guard and regional partners. However, lethal force has been authorised in a limited number of cases involving vessels linked to armed narco-terror networks or those that failed to comply with orders. U.S. officials say such operations are intended to disrupt major drug routes supplying North America and curb the influence of transnational criminal organisations.
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Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
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