US military strike in Eastern Pacific kills three suspected narco-terrorists on drug-trafficking vessel

(SeaPRwire) –   U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced on Tuesday that the U.S. military launched a lethal strike against a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of three suspected narco-terrorists.

The operation, executed by Joint Task Force Southern Spear under the direction of Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, targeted a ship operating along established narco-trafficking routes and involved in drug trafficking activities. 

According to SOUTHCOM, no American service members sustained injuries during the mission.

“Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was traveling along known narco-trafficking paths in the Eastern Pacific and was actively engaged in narcotic trafficking operations,” the command stated on X. “Three male narco-terrorists were killed as a result of this action. No U.S. military personnel were harmed.”

SOUTHCOM has not yet released further details regarding those who were killed.

In recent months, the U.S. military has conducted multiple strikes on vessels believed to be involved in drug smuggling as part of an extensive campaign aimed at dismantling cartel-linked trafficking networks.

This announcement follows SOUTHCOM’s report from the previous day, detailing a similar strike in the Caribbean on Monday that resulted in the deaths of two suspected drug traffickers.

On April 24, SOUTHCOM carried out another lethal strike targeting a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two individuals suspected of being narco-terrorists.

That operation came less than a week after SOUTHCOM reported conducting an operation in the Caribbean that led to the death of three suspected narco-terrorists.

SOUTHCOM oversees military operations throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counter-narcotics efforts designed to disrupt drug trafficking organizations that pose a threat to U.S. interests.

The Eastern Pacific continues to serve as a major corridor for narcotics trafficking, with cartels frequently utilizing small, high-speed vessels to transport drugs toward the United States and Central America.

Digital’s Bradford Betz, Michael Sinkewicz, Alex Nitzberg and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.