U.S. Military Strikes Drug-Trafficking Vessel in Eastern Pacific
On Tuesday, U.S. forces launched a deadly attack on a vessel believed to be involved in drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in the death of a suspected narco-terrorist, as reported by U.S. Southern Command (Southcom).
According to a post on X, “On May 26th, under the orders of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear executed a targeted strike on a vessel associated with a designated terrorist group.” The statement added that intelligence agencies confirmed the boat was operating along established drug trafficking routes and was actively engaged in smuggling operations.
The military indicated that one suspected narco-terrorist was killed in this airstrike, while two others managed to survive the attack.
Southcom stated that they promptly alerted the U.S. Coast Guard to initiate search and rescue operations for the survivors. Notably, there were no injuries reported among U.S. troops involved in the operation.
Further information regarding the individuals targeted in this operation has not been disclosed by Southcom.
In recent months, the U.S. military has carried out several airstrikes aimed at vessels suspected of facilitating drug smuggling as part of a larger initiative to disrupt cartel operations. Interestingly, this latest strike closely followed another instance earlier this month.
Just a few weeks prior, Southcom targeted another ship in the Eastern Pacific, which led to the deaths of two male narco-terrorists and one survivor. Additionally, in a separate operation in the Caribbean, two suspected human traffickers were killed.
The Eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea are notable routes for drug trafficking, often utilized by cartels that prefer swift, small vessels to transport drugs into the United States and Central America.
Southcom is responsible for overseeing military activities in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on counternarcotics missions aimed at dismantling drug trafficking networks associated with organized crime.
