Two Dead in US Strike on Pacific Ship

By Staff, Agencies

The United States carried out a lethal strike on a vessel allegedly suspected of drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of two individuals, according to a statement by US Southern Command.

The strike came as part of the ongoing Operation Southern Spear—a military campaign launched by the Trump administration under the pretext of combating narcotics trafficking.

According to an X post, "On Dec. 29, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters."

The post added that intelligence confirmed the ship was traveling along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and engaged in drug trafficking, resulting in the deaths of two individuals, while no US forces were harmed.

Critics, lawmakers, and legal experts have denounced the strikes as illegal under international law.