U.S. Strikes Kill Five on Suspected Drug Boats in Pacific

The U.S. military conducted strikes on two boats suspected of drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific Ocean on April 11, killing five people and leaving one survivor, military officials announced Sunday. The operation, directed by U.S. Southern Command, targeted vessels traveling along known smuggling routes in international waters.

U.S. Southern Command stated that the strikes were carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear under the command of Gen. Francis L. Donovan. In a post on the social media platform X, the command described the boats as operated by designated terrorist organizations engaged in narcotics operations. According to the statement, two men were killed in the first strike, with one man surviving, while three men died in the second. Aerial video released by the command showed the boats moving across the water before each erupted in flames. No evidence of narcotics on the vessels was publicly provided, consistent with previous operations in the campaign.

Following the strikes, U.S. Southern Command notified the U.S. Coast Guard to initiate search and rescue protocols for the survivor. The Coast Guard confirmed it was coordinating efforts and would issue...