US Strike Destroys Suspected Narco-Trafficking Boat, Kills 3 in Eastern Pacific

U.S. military forces on Tuesday conducted another lethal strike against a vessel operated by designated terrorist organizations involved in narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific, killing three people, according to U.S. Southern Command officials.

Intelligence confirmed the vessel was traveling along known narco-trafficking routes and actively engaged in such operations, U.S. Southern Command reported in a post on X.

“On May 5, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” the command said.

“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed.”

In a video included with the X post, a vessel can be seen speeding across the water before being destroyed by an explosion.

Tuesday’s strike follows another from Monday, when the U.S. Southern Command targeted a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” that it said was engaged in narco-trafficking operations in the Caribbean along known narco-trafficking routes.

“Two male narco-terrorists were killed during this action,” the U.S. Southern Command said.

These strikes are the latest in a series of operations under Donovan’s leadership since taking charge of U.S. Southern Command on Feb. 5, where he oversees all military operations and partnerships across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The U.S. Naval Institute has reported that at least 186 people tied to narco-terrorist networks have been killed—including some missing, presumed dead—in the more than 50 strikes by U.S. forces under Operation Southern Spear. The U.S. operations against the narco-terrorist networks began on Sept. 1, 2025.

The command describes these operations as part of a broader effort to put pressure on drug trafficking networks that the command ties to designated terrorist organizations.

In a March 17 testimony before the House Committee on Armed Services, Joseph M. Humire—acting assistant secretary of war for homeland defense and Americas security affairs—highlighted the success of Operation Southern Spear in countering illicit drug flows to the United States.

“The effects have been significant and profound. Since the first September strike, there has been a 20 percent reduction of movements of drug vessels in the Caribbean and an additional 25 percent reduction in the Eastern Pacific,” the acting assistant secretary said.

“These two maritime corridors are the origin source for follow-on flow into the U.S. Homeland,” he said.

Naveen Athrappully contributed to this report