The U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) recently reported on new strikes conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear, part of an ongoing effort to tackle drug trafficking at sea.
According to a statement issued on Monday, Southcom noted that the targeted vessel was navigating well-known drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was actively involved in illegal operations.
Footage released by the command captured the moment the U.S. attack transformed the ship into a massive fireball. Southcom confirmed that two individuals, classified as narco-terrorists, were killed in the strike, and importantly, no U.S. personnel were injured.
Operation Southern Spear was initiated in September 2025 and has led to numerous strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels throughout the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. This operation has resulted in the deaths of nearly 200 known narco-terrorists.
In early 2025, an executive order signed by President Donald Trump established a protocol for identifying certain international drug cartels and other entities as foreign terrorist organizations, thus enabling military action against these vessels.
