U.S. military strikes suspected narco-trafficking vessel in Eastern Pacific

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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