The US Southern Command has confirmed a lethal kinetic strike against a boat in the eastern Pacific, killing four people in an operation it says targeted drug traffickers along a known smuggling route.
The US military has carried out a lethal strike against a vessel in the Pacific Ocean, killing four people in what the Pentagon says was an operation against drug traffickers.
According to a statement posted on X by the US Southern Command, the strike took place on April 14 under the direction of General Francis L. Donovan. “The Joint Task Force “Southern Spear” conducted a lethal kinetic strike against the vessel,” the statement read.
The boat was reportedly travelling along a known route for smuggling illicit substances and was detected in the eastern Pacific. The command also released video footage of the moment of the strike, which appears to show a precision hit followed by an explosion.
In a separate development, at least 20 tankers and cargo ships have entered the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours. It remains unclear under which flags the vessels were sailing, with some reportedly switching off their transponders while passing through the strait.
Meanwhile, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau described the recent killing of Rubén Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, a leader of the dangerous Jalisco New Generation cartel, as a major achievement for the region. “In this fight, the good guys have managed to defeat the bad guys,” the diplomat added.
