U.S. Southern Command reported that Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal strike on Dec. 29 in international waters, killing two alleged narco‑terrorists aboard a vessel traveling known Eastern Pacific trafficking routes. SOUTHCOM said it was the unit’s first lethal action since Dec. 22 and that no U.S. forces were injured. The strike is the 30th since Sept. 2 and is part of a broader campaign that has reportedly resulted in at least 106 deaths and targets groups such as Tren de Aragua and Colombia’s ELN.
U.S. Forces Strike Vessel in Eastern Pacific, Kill Two Alleged Narco‑Terrorists
SOUTHCOM said Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters on Dec. 29, killing two male narco-terrorists.
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out a lethal kinetic strike on Dec. 29 in international waters, killing two men the command described as alleged narco‑terrorists aboard a vessel transiting known trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific.
SOUTHCOM said intelligence indicated the vessel was operating along established narcotics corridors when the strike occurred. The command also noted the Dec. 29 action was the unit’s first lethal strike since Dec. 22 and that no U.S. military personnel were harmed.
"On Dec. 29, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters," SOUTHCOM wrote on X.
Context of the Campaign
The Dec. 29 action is the 30th strike reported by SOUTHCOM since Sept. 2. According to the command, the series of operations has resulted in at least 106 deaths. The campaign began with a Sept. 2 strike that reportedly killed 11 alleged members of the Venezuelan group Tren de Aragua, and subsequent operations have targeted networks and vessels along known routes in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said, "A total of 14 narco-terrorists were killed during the three strikes, with one survivor."
Types Of Targets And Strategic Goals
SOUTHCOM statements indicate U.S. forces have engaged a range of vessels — including submersibles, fishing boats and high‑speed craft — as part of efforts to disrupt maritime drug trafficking. U.S. officials have identified groups such as Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) as targets of these operations.
The strikes are presented by U.S. officials as part of a broader push under the administration’s "Fentanyl Free America" initiative to stem the flow of illicit narcotics into the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration has said interdiction efforts against suspected drug vessels are helping reduce shipments. U.S. leaders have also indicated that operations could expand to include land targets connected to trafficking networks.
Fox News Digital reporters Bonny Chu and Alex Nitzberg contributed to the reporting on this operation.
