The U.S. military killed six men in a strike on a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Sunday, according to the Associated Press. The operation is part of President Donald Trump’s expanded campaign targeting what the administration calls “narcoterrorists” operating along major trafficking routes.
U.S. Southern Command said the vessel was operating along known smuggling corridors. The military released a video on X showing the small boat destroyed at sea. Officials did not present public evidence that the vessel carried narcotics.
On March 8, 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. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/hIXMDeDKK5
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) March 9, 2026
The strike raises the death toll from similar operations to at least 157 people since the campaign began in September. The U.S. military has carried out more than 40 known strikes across the eastern Pacific and Caribbean, according to AP.
President Trump has argued that drug cartels represent a national security threat and has urged Latin American leaders to join military operations against them. Critics question the legality and effectiveness of the strikes.
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