The U.S. military says it struck a suspected drug‑trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific on June 3, killing two men described by SOUTHCOM as "narco‑terrorists." No U.S. personnel were injured, and the command released a short video showing the boat engulfed in flames. The action is part of a wider campaign that has resulted in at least 207 deaths in similar strikes and has prompted legal and human‑rights scrutiny over the use of lethal force outside traditional battlefields.
U.S. Forces Strike Suspected Drug Boat In Eastern Pacific, Killing Two 'Narco‑Terrorists'
Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, directed the operation that targeted a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific, according to SOUTHCOM.(Getty Images)
The U.S. military carried out a lethal strike on June 3 against a vessel in the Eastern Pacific that it said was involved in drug trafficking, killing two men the command described as "narco‑terrorists," U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) reported.
SOUTHCOM said the operation was conducted at the direction of SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan and executed by Joint Task Force Southern Spear. According to the command, intelligence indicated the vessel was transiting established narcotics routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco‑trafficking operations.
No U.S. personnel were wounded in the strike, SOUTHCOM said. The command released a short black‑and‑white video that shows a fast‑moving boat cutting through the water before erupting in flames.
Context And Recent Operations
This action is part of a broader campaign against cartel‑linked smuggling networks that, according to The Associated Press, has resulted in at least 207 people killed in U.S. strikes on suspected drug‑trafficking vessels since the campaign was expanded under the previous U.S. administration in September.
Wednesday’s strike followed several similar operations in recent weeks: SOUTHCOM said a strike Saturday killed three suspected operatives, another strike on Friday killed three, a previous Wednesday strike killed two, and other recent operations reported a mix of fatalities and survivors.
Questions And Scrutiny
SOUTHCOM has typically released short videos and brief statements asserting links between the struck vessels and designated terrorist organizations, but it has generally not published public evidence identifying those killed or proving the boats were carrying illicit narcotics. That lack of publicly disclosed evidence has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers, legal experts and human‑rights groups, who have questioned the legal basis for using lethal military force against suspected traffickers outside a traditional battlefield.
The Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean remain major narcotics transit corridors; cartels frequently use small, high‑speed boats to move shipments toward the United States and Central America. SOUTHCOM oversees U.S. military operations across Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counter‑narcotics missions aimed at disrupting networks tied to transnational criminal organizations.
Reporting: Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg and The Associated Press contributed to the original reporting.
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