The United States Southern Command has confirmed conducting a lethal military operation against a vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of two individuals aboard. According to official statements, the targeted boat was allegedly transporting illicit narcotics and operated by entities designated as terrorist organizations.
This incident marks the second such strike conducted this year under Operation Southern Spear, an ongoing campaign initiated in September to disrupt drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific regions. Military authorities report that the vessel was intercepted while transiting along established narco-trafficking corridors.
The Trump administration has characterized these operations as essential components of a non-international armed conflict aimed at curbing the flow of drugs from Latin America into the United States. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has publicly defended the campaign, stating its objectives are to eliminate ‘narco-terrorists from our hemisphere’ and protect American citizens from dangerous substances.
Since the operation’s inception, US forces have executed at least 38 lethal strikes, resulting in 128 fatalities. However, the pace of these engagements has noticeably decreased following the January capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom the administration has accused of collaborating with drug trafficking organizations. Earlier in the campaign, operations were conducted at a significantly higher frequency, with 36 strikes occurring within a four-month period last year.
The military asserts that no US personnel sustained injuries during Thursday’s operation. Nevertheless, the campaign faces mounting legal and political challenges. Some international law experts contend that these strikes potentially violate international legal standards by targeting civilians without due process.
Bipartisan scrutiny has emerged following a September 2nd ‘double-tap’ strike against an alleged Venezuelan drug vessel in the Caribbean Sea. Additionally, the families of two Trinidadian men killed in an October 14th strike have filed a lawsuit against the US government, characterizing the operations as ‘lawless killings in cold blood; killings for sport and killings for theatre.’