US Military Strikes Another Drug Boat in Eastern Pacific; 2 Killed

The U.S. military said it conducted a deadly strike on a narco-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday, killing two people aboard and prompting a search-and-rescue effort for a third survivor, according to the U.S. Southern Command.

The action, directed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, was carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear amid a continuing campaign against drug trafficking networks designated as terrorist organizations. Intelligence indicated the boat was traversing known trafficking routes and actively involved in illicit operations, according to officials.

“On Jan. 23, 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. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) stated in a post on X as well as on its website.

“Two narco-terrorists were killed and one survived the strike. Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified @USCG to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor.”

The U.S. Coast Guard launched search efforts for the survivor, though it is unknown if they were found. Officials did not specify the terrorist organizations involved.

Southern Command, responsible for U.S. military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, has partnered with regional allies in past drug enforcement efforts.

There have been at least 30 reported strikes as part of Operation Southern Spear as of late 2025. This incident is the latest in the military campaign, launched in November 2025 to undermine narco-terrorist activities in the Western Hemisphere.

“President Trump ordered action—and the Department of War is delivering,” Hegseth wrote on X in November. “Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and @SOUTHCOM, this mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people. The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood—and we will protect it.”

In December 2025, the task force conducted its 29th strike on a vessel suspected of smuggling narcotics, while, earlier that month, a strike killed four individuals on another boat in international waters.

Some lawmakers have criticized the initiative, introducing resolutions in Congress to curtail military involvement in regions such as Venezuela, noting the potential for escalation.

President Donald Trump’s administration has taken aggressive measures against cartels, with Trump himself suggesting the possibility of strikes on Mexican territory to limit fentanyl and other drugs entering the United States.

“Would I launch strikes into Mexico to stop drugs? OK with me. Whatever we have to do to stop drugs,” he said in November at the Oval Office.