Two Killed in US Strike on Suspected Drug Boat in Eastern Pacific

By Staff, Agencies

The US military said it struck a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people it alleged were involved in drug smuggling, as Washington continues its reported strikes on trafficking routes.

In a statement on April 24, US Southern Command [SOUTHCOM] said Joint Task Force Southern Spear, under Gen. Francis L. Donovan’s direction, carried out a lethal strike on a vessel it claimed was operated by designated terrorist groups and traveling along known drug-trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific.

Two men were killed in the attack, it announced.

The strike was conducted under "Operation Southern Spear," a US military campaign launched by the Trump administration in late 2025, allegedly targeting drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Since September 2025, US “Operation Southern Spear” strikes on alleged drug boats have reportedly killed over 180 civilians in 53 attacks, with the latest strike on April 19 killing three, while Washington claims the targets are cartel members but has not identified them.

Experts in the laws of war and members of Congress say the strikes are illegal extrajudicial killings, arguing the US cannot target civilians or suspected criminals without imminent threat, marking a break from past arrest-based drug enforcement.

The Trump administration, however, has designated Latin American cartels as “Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” allowing military strikes without trial.

US military operations in Latin America, including boat strikes and activity in Venezuela, cost at least $4.7 billion between August 2025 and March 2026, according to the Costs of War Project, which says the figure is likely an undercount as full costs are not disclosed.