The U.S. Military conducted a lethal strike on a vessel allegedly involved in drug trafficking on Friday, February 20, resulting in the deaths of three individuals, according to a statement released by the U.S. Southern Command on X, formerly known as Twitter. The command identified the deceased as “male narco-terrorists.” This latest operation, part of “Operation Southern Spear,” follows a series of similar strikes earlier this week.
On Monday, February 16, U.S. Forces carried out three kinetic strikes on vessels operating under the control of Designated Terrorist Organizations, resulting in the deaths of eleven people. Four individuals were killed on each of two vessels in the Eastern Pacific, while three died aboard a third vessel in the Caribbean Sea, officials reported. U.S. Southern Command stated that intelligence confirmed the vessels were traveling along known narco-trafficking routes and actively engaged in related operations.
The February 20 strike was authorized by Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of United States Southern Command. The command shared a 16-second video clip on X appearing to indicate the vessel being struck and subsequently exploding. No U.S. Military personnel were harmed in either operation, according to official statements.
These recent actions represent a continuation of operations targeting alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean that began in September, following a directive from President Trump to target “narco-terrorists” on small vessels. While the pace of these strikes was initially high, it appeared to slow in early January following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas.
Maduro has been accused by the Trump administration of collaborating with drug-trafficking networks, allegations he denies. He currently faces charges in a Manhattan court, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons-related offenses, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
U.S. Military officials have stated that the operations are intended to remove “narco-terrorists from our hemisphere” and to protect the United States from the influx of illicit drugs. According to available information, these operations have resulted in at least 148 deaths since their inception several months ago.
