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The U.S. military carried out a lethal strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Friday, killing two suspected narco-terrorists, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
“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,” SOUTHCOM said in a post on X.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the post continued. “Two male narco-terrorists were killed during this action.”No U.S. military forces were harmed.”
ALLEGED NARCO-TERRORISTS KILLED AS US FORCES STRIKE SUSPECTED DRUG-TRAFFICKING VESSEL IN CARIBBEAN
U.S. forces carried out a strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two individuals, officials said. (U.S. Southern Command)
SOUTHCOM did not immediately provide additional details about the identities of those killed or the specific groups involved.
The U.S. military has carried out numerous strikes in recent months on suspected drug-smuggling vessels as part of a broader campaign to dismantle cartel-linked trafficking operations.
The strike comes less than a week after SOUTHCOM said it conducted a similar operation in the Caribbean, killing three suspected narco-terrorists.
US, ECUADOR LAUNCH JOINT OPERATIONS TARGETING NARCO-TERROR GROUPS: SOUTHCOM
(L/R) U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Francis L. Donovan and U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd testify during a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on their nominations on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 15, 2026. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Earlier this month, the military struck a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing four alleged narco-terrorists, SOUTHCOM said.
SOUTHCOM is responsible for military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counter-narcotics missions aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks that threaten U.S. interests.
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U.S. military operations targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels continue under President Donald Trump. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
The Eastern Pacific remains a key corridor for narcotics trafficking, with cartels often using small, fast-moving vessels to transport drugs toward the U.S. and Central America.
Digital’s Alex Nitzberg and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
