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The U.S. military carried out a lethal strike Wednesday on a vessel it said was involved in drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific, killing two men it described as “narco-terrorists,” according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
“On June 3, 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 military said two alleged narco-terrorists were killed in the strike. SOUTHCOM did not say whether anyone survived.
US MILITARY KILLS 2 SUSPECTED CARTEL OPERATIVES IN LATEST EASTERN PACIFIC LETHAL STRIKE, SOUTHCOM SAYS
Video released by U.S. Southern Command shows a suspected drug-trafficking vessel moments before it was struck during an operation in the Eastern Pacific. (U.S. Southern Command)
No U.S. military personnel were injured, the command added.
SOUTHCOM also released a brief video showing a vessel speeding through the water before erupting in flames.
The latest strike brings the number of people killed in U.S. military operations targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels to at least 207 since the Trump administration launched a broad campaign aimed at dismantling cartel-linked trafficking networks in September, according to The Associated Press.
US MILITARY KILLS 3 IN LATEST STRIKE ON A SUSPECTED DRUG VESSEL IN THE PACIFIC
A suspected drug-trafficking vessel erupts in flames following a U.S. military strike, according to U.S. Southern Command. (U.S. Southern Command)
Wednesday’s strike followed a series of similar operations in recent weeks.
On Saturday, the U.S. military struck a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing three suspected narco-terrorists, according to SOUTHCOM.
A separate strike Friday killed three men, while another operation last Wednesday killed two, the military said.
US KILLS 3 ALLEGED DRUG TRAFFICKERS IN ANOTHER EASTERN PACIFIC STRIKE
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. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)
SOUTHCOM also carried out a strike last Tuesday that reportedly killed one person and left two survivors.
Earlier in May, the command said an operation in the Eastern Pacific killed two alleged narco-terrorists and left one survivor.
The military has released brief videos and statements describing the vessels as tied to designated terrorist organizations, but it has generally not publicly released evidence identifying those killed or proving the vessels were carrying drugs. The campaign has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers, legal experts and human rights groups who question the legal basis for using lethal military force against suspected traffickers outside a traditional battlefield.
The Eastern Pacific and Caribbean remain major corridors for narcotics trafficking, with cartels frequently using small, fast-moving vessels to transport drugs toward the United States and Central America.
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Officials said the vessel was linked to designated terrorist organizations and engaged in narcotics-trafficking operations. (U.S. Southern Command)
SOUTHCOM oversees U.S. military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counter-narcotics missions aimed at disrupting trafficking networks tied to transnational criminal organizations.
The video released Wednesday was in black and white, similar to most footage previously shared by SOUTHCOM.
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Last week, however, the military posted what appeared to be its first color video showing a strike against a suspected drug-trafficking vessel.
Digital’s Alex Nitzberg and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
