US Strike Kills Two in Pacific Drug Vessel Operation

U.S. Southern Command announced on Monday that its forces conducted a lethal strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two men it described as involved in narcotics trafficking. The operation, carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear, targeted a boat transiting along known drug smuggling routes, according to the command's statement. No U.S. personnel were injured.

The strike followed similar actions two days earlier on April 11, when two vessels were hit in the same region, resulting in the deaths of five men and one survivor. Southern Command reported that intelligence indicated the boats were operated by groups designated as terrorist organizations engaged in drug operations. It notified the U.S. Coast Guard to initiate search and rescue for the survivor, though no update on their status was immediately available. The command released video footage of the April 13 explosion, showing the vessel engulfed in smoke after the blast.

These incidents are part of Operation Southern Spear, a U.S. military campaign launched in September 2025 to disrupt maritime drug trafficking networks in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Since its start, the...