US military strike on alleged drug boat kills 2 in eastern Pacific
US Southern Command releases video showing boat destroyed in latest anti-narcotics operation
The US military said it launched another strike Friday on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people.
The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and killed at least 183 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the Caribbean Sea.
The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.
The attacks began as the US built up its largest military presence in the region in generations and came months ahead of the raid in January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty.
In the latest attack on Friday, US Southern Command repeated previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. It posted a video on X showing a boat floating in the water before an explosion left it in flames.
On April 24, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/FRHwqXsHm2
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) April 25, 2026
President Donald Trump has said the US is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.
Critics, meanwhile, have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes.
