US Strike Kills Two on Suspected Drug Boat in Pacific

The U.S. military conducted a strike on Thursday in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two individuals aboard a vessel officials described as involved in drug trafficking operations. The action, announced by U.S. Southern Command on social media, targeted a boat traveling along established narcotrafficking routes, according to the command's statement.

A video accompanying the announcement depicted the vessel navigating open waters before erupting in flames from the impact. U.S. Southern Command confirmed that no American forces were harmed in the operation. The strike brings the total number of deaths from the Trump administration's campaign against suspected drug-smuggling boats to 128 since early September, officials said. This figure includes 116 people killed immediately in at least 36 attacks across the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, plus 10 others presumed dead after going missing following strikes, with search efforts yielding no results.

The latest action marks the second known strike since U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a raid last month. It occurred hours after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on his personal social media...