US Southern Command says strike on suspected drug-smuggling boat kills two

The U.S. Southern Command announced on Monday that a strike carried out on Sunday targeted a low-profile boat it said was operating along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific. The operation, executed by the Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere under the direction of SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, resulted in two fatalities, according to the command’s post on X.

"Confirmed intelligence revealed the vessel’s active involvement in narco-trafficking," SOUTHCOM said.

"We are committed to imposing total systemic friction on narco-terrorists — disrupting their operations, dismantling their leadership and eliminating cartel terror across the region," Gen. Donovan was quoted as stating.

A grainy black-and-white video posted with the announcement showed a boat moving on the water moments before a large explosion. The strike is part of Operation Southern Spear, launched in early September, which the Pentagon says has resulted in more than 200 deaths in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea, according to an AFP tally. Legal experts and human-rights groups have raised concerns that such attacks may constitute extrajudicial killings, and the Pentagon’s inspector general announced a review of whether standard targeting procedures were followed, though the review will not address the legal authority for the strikes.