A joint US special operations task force has conducted a “kinetic strike” against a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, reportedly used by terrorist-linked organisations to smuggle drugs, according to the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). The raid left three people dead, with no American casualties.
Naval strike in international waters
US military forces have carried out a strike on Wednesday on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean after intelligence indicated it was being used to transport narcotics, the SOUTHCOM has announced on the social media platform X.
According to military officials, the joint task force “Southern Spear” conducted a “kinetic strike” against the vessel, which they say was operated by terrorist organisations. SOUTHCOM stated that intelligence had confirmed the ship’s involvement in drug trafficking and that it was travelling “along known drug smuggling routes” in the eastern Pacific.
Three people died as a result of the operation. There were no American casualties.
The day before, SOUTHCOM had reported an attack on another vessel suspected of drug trafficking. That strike took place in the Caribbean Sea, killing two individuals, with no losses among US forces.
War crime allegations against Pentagon chief
In late 2025, several US lawmakers raised suspicions that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth may have committed war crimes. The Washington Post reported that during a US operation in the Caribbean, a suspected drug-trafficking boat was attacked. According to the newspaper’s sources, two survivors remained on board after the strike, and Hegseth allegedly ordered their elimination: “The order was to kill them all.”
Hegseth has denied the allegations, calling them fabricated, and insisted that operations against drug cartels are conducted in accordance with US law and international legal standards.
