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The U.S. military carried out a lethal strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific Friday, killing two alleged narco-terrorists, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
“On May 8, 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 post continued. “Two male narco-terrorists were killed during this action, and one survived the strike.”
SOUTHCOM said it immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct search-and-rescue operations for the survivor.
A U.S. Southern Command-directed strike hit a vessel linked to designated terrorist organizations and narcotics trafficking, killing two individuals and leaving one survivor. (@Southcom/X)
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.
US MILITARY CONDUCTS STRIKE ON ANOTHER BOAT CARRYING ALLEGED NARCO-TRAFFICKERS, KILLING 3
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.
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U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Francis L. Donovan, left, a nominee for commander of U.S. Southern Command, and U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd, right, a nominee for director of the National Security Agency, 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.
Fox News Digital’s Sophia Compton contributed to this report.