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The United States military executed a deadly operation against a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Friday, resulting in the deaths of two alleged narco-terrorists, as reported by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
“On May 8, under the orders of SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal strike on a vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations,” SOUTHCOM announced via their X account.
According to the announcement, intelligence sources confirmed the vessel was traveling along established narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was actively involved in drug trafficking. The operation resulted in the death of two male narco-terrorists, while one individual survived the strike.
SOUTHCOM promptly informed the U.S. Coast Guard to initiate search-and-rescue efforts for the survivor.
A strike ordered by U.S. Southern Command targeted a vessel associated with terrorist groups and narcotics trafficking, leading to two fatalities and one survivor.
No U.S. forces were injured, the military said.
SOUTHCOM did not immediately release additional information about those killed.
The U.S. military has carried out multiple strikes in recent months targeting suspected drug-smuggling vessels as part of a broader campaign to dismantle cartel-linked trafficking operations.
U.S. military forces conducted a strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific as part of ongoing counter-narcotics operations. (U.S. Southern Command)
Friday’s strike follows similar operations earlier this week. SOUTHCOM said it targeted a vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Tuesday, killing three suspected narco-terrorists, and conducted another strike in the Caribbean on Monday, killing two suspected traffickers.
The Eastern Pacific and Caribbean remain key corridors for narcotics trafficking, with cartels often using small, fast-moving vessels to transport drugs toward the U.S. and Central America.
(L/R) U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Francis L. Donovan, nominee for Commander of U.S. Southern Command, and U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd, nominee for Director of the National Security Agency, Chief of Central Security Service, and Command of U.S. Cyber Command, 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)
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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