U.S. Southern Command says a U.S. military strike carried out under Operation Southern Spear destroyed a narco-trafficking vessel in international waters, killing two narco-terrorists and leaving U.S. forces unharmed.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
U.S. Southern Command announced Monday evening that American forces conducted a new “lethal kinetic strike” against a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations while it transited international waters in the Eastern Pacific. The command said intelligence confirmed the vessel was moving along established narco-trafficking routes and actively engaged in drug-smuggling operations. Two male narco-terrorists were killed during the strike, and no U.S. military personnel were injured, according to a statement released alongside unclassified video footage shared by the command on X through an official post from U.S. Southern Command. SOUTHCOM said the operation was carried out at the direction of U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Officials said the strike marked the 30th U.S. military action against maritime drug-trafficking vessels operating in international waters since September. Those actions fall under Operation Southern Spear, a Department of War mission targeting transnational maritime narcotics networks. U.S. authorities report that at least 106 drug traffickers have been killed during these operations, with no U.S. military casualties reported.
The continued military activity coincides with a broader U.S. deployment in Caribbean and surrounding international waters as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to curb the flow of drugs entering the United States. Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who is wanted by U.S. authorities on multiple narco-terrorism charges, has repeatedly claimed U.S. counter-narcotics operations are part of an alleged plan to invade Venezuela and impose regime change.
On Friday, President Trump disclosed during a radio interview that U.S. forces had recently struck what he described as a major drug-related facility inside Venezuela.
“I don’t know if you read or you saw, they have a big plant or a big facility where they send the — where the ships come from. Two nights ago we knocked that out — so we hit them very hard,” Trump said.
Speaking to reporters Monday, the president reiterated that U.S. forces targeted a dock area used to load boats with drugs, describing a significant explosion and additional strikes on vessels and infrastructure. Video of those remarks circulated widely after being shared on social media by Collin Rugg.
At press time, neither Maduro nor members of his government had publicly responded to Trump’s statements. Venezuelan state media and the limited number of independent outlets still operating under the Maduro government’s extensive censorship of the press had not reported on the alleged strike.
By contrast, the state-aligned network Telesur reported Monday that Maduro claimed Venezuela maintains what he described as an exemplary and unique model in South America for combating crime, criminal gangs, and drug trafficking by air, land, and sea, remarks he delivered during an official event alongside senior military officials.
Original article
Comments