The U.S. military conducted a deadly strike on Sunday against a low-profile vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two people described as “narco-terrorists,” according to U.S. Southern Command.
Video footage released by U.S. Southern Command shows the explosive strike on the vessel operating along what the military identified as established narco-trafficking routes.
The operation was carried out under the direction of Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, and executed by Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere.
“Confirmed intelligence revealed the vessel’s active involvement in narco-trafficking. The operation killed two narco-terrorists,” U.S. Southern Command stated in an August 24 news release.
The announcement marks the first publicly disclosed strike of this kind in just over two months, with the previous operation announced on June 21 also killing two people, though six survivors were reported in that earlier incident.
The military has conducted dozens of strikes against alleged drug trafficking vessels during President Donald Trump’s second term, a policy that has drawn significant controversy and political scrutiny.
Donovan directly addressed the purpose of Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere in his statement accompanying the Monday announcement about the Sunday strike.
“When I ordered the establishment of Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere, it was precisely for this purpose: to accelerate, synchronize, and execute lethal actions against these destabilizing narco-terrorist networks,” Donovan said.
Donovan further emphasized the military’s commitment to dismantling cartel operations across the region, describing the campaign as an effort to impose sustained pressure on drug trafficking networks.
“We are committed to imposing total systemic friction on narco-terrorists — disrupting their operations, dismantling their leadership, and eliminating cartel terror across the region,” he said.
The general issued a direct warning against any continued drug trafficking operations targeting the United States, stressing the military’s resolve to protect American communities from cartel-linked threats.
“Let me be clear, we will not permit narco-terrorists to operate with impunity in the Western Hemisphere, nor will we allow their deadly poison to reach American communities. This operation is a powerful demonstration of our lethal precision, overwhelming capability, and absolute resolve to protect the U.S. homeland,” Donovan said.
The policy of conducting lethal strikes against suspected narco-trafficking vessels has faced pushback from Democratic lawmakers, with at least one senator accusing the Pentagon of murder in connection with these boat strikes.
