By Blessing Nweke
Two people were killed in a U.S. military strike targeting a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific, U.S. Southern Command said Monday, marking the latest escalation in Washington’s crackdown on maritime narcotics trafficking.
According to a statement, the operation was directed by Marine Gen. Francis Donovan and struck a small boat believed to be operated by a group designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization. Officials did not disclose the precise location of the strike but said it occurred in waters frequently used by traffickers moving illicit drugs toward the United States.
Southern Command described those killed only as male “narco-terrorists.” Footage released alongside the announcement showed a black-and-white aerial view of what appeared to be a small fishing vessel being hit by munitions, leaving the boat smoking in open water.
The strike is part of Joint Task Force Southern Spear, an ongoing U.S. enforcement campaign targeting suspected drug trafficking routes across the eastern Pacific, Caribbean, and along Latin American coastlines. The command said the operation aims to disrupt cartel networks by applying what it called “total systemic friction,” adding that no U.S. personnel were harmed.
Since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, the administration has carried out at least 50 similar strikes, according to an NBC News tally. Those operations have destroyed 51 vessels and killed 170 individuals, frequently labeled by officials as combatants linked to drug cartels.
The administration has justified the strikes by classifying major drug cartels as terrorist organizations, arguing their role in trafficking substances like fentanyl constitutes a national security threat.
However, critics, including some Democratic lawmakers, have raised concerns about the legality of the operations, citing the lack of due process and limited public evidence linking those targeted to criminal activity.
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