The U.S. military said it has carried out a strike Thursday (5 February) on a vessel allegedly engaged in narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific, according to the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), killing two people.
"Two narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed," SOUTHCOM said on the U.S. social media company X’s platform.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the U.S. military said in the statement.
The strike was carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear under the direction of Commander General Francis L. Donovan, who assumed command of SOUTHCOM on Thursday during a ceremony at the Pentagon.
Earlier on Thursday, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said some senior cartel drug traffickers operating within SOUTHCOM’s area of responsibility had “decided to cease all narcotics operations indefinitely” following what he described as recent, highly effective kinetic strikes in the Caribbean.
Hegseth did not provide further details or evidence to support the claim.
U.S. authorities have defended recent seizures and strikes, saying the targeted vessels are part of an illicit maritime network used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
Washington alleges the proceeds from these shipments help fund foreign terrorist organisations.
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