US Southern Command announced on Monday that it executed a strike against a low-profile vessel operating in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in two deaths. The command stated that confirmed intelligence indicated the vessel’s involvement in drug trafficking and that those killed were narco-terrorists, though the military did not provide evidence supporting these claims.
The operation represents a continuation of a broader campaign launched by the Trump administration targeting alleged narco-traffickers. According to SouthCom data, the initiative has resulted in 67 strikes since early September, killing 223 people total and destroying 64 speedboats, three low-profile ships, and one semisubmersible vessel. General Francis L Donovan, SouthCom’s commander, characterized the operation as demonstrating the military’s commitment to disrupting drug trafficking operations in the region.
The strikes have generated significant controversy regarding their legal basis and effectiveness. The United Nations and humanitarian organizations have condemned the operations as extrajudicial killings. Investigation by the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism identified 13 previously unidentified victims, including individuals from impoverished communities with no apparent involvement in drug trafficking. Search and rescue efforts have recovered only three survivors out of more than 28 reported.
The Trump administration has pursued regional expansion of these operations, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicating that Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras agreed to joint military operations on their territory, though Guatemala denied reaching such an agreement. Critics have questioned both the legality and effectiveness of the campaign, noting that most fentanyl entering the US arrives overland from Mexico rather than by sea. The Pentagon’s inspector general announced plans to review whether the strikes followed established targeting procedures, though this evaluation will not assess the legal basis of the operations.
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