U.S. military forces struck an alleged drug‑smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, killing two people in what Southern Command described as a suspected narco‑trafficking operation along known smuggling routes. The attack, announced via a statement on social media, marks at least the 38th vessel targeted in a months‑long U.S.
campaign against suspected drug‑carrying boats in Latin American waters, and only the second reported since Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s capture in early January.
According to U.S. Southern Command, intelligence indicated the small craft was operated by a “Designated Terrorist Organization” and transiting known narcotics routes when it was struck, though officials have not publicly named the group. A brief unclassified video released by the command showed the boat exploding and bursting into flames after the strike. Northern Hemisphere officials reported that no U.S. personnel were harmed.
This latest operation follows a similar strike on January 23 — the first publicly acknowledged attack since the U.S. captured Maduro — in which two were killed and one survivor was recovered by the U.S. Coast Guard. The pace of these naval airstrikes has slowed markedly since the high‑profile Venezuelan leader’s arrest; in late 2025, strikes occurred more frequently, including multiple attacks that killed several crews aboard suspected smuggling vessels.
Critics — particularly Democratic lawmakers and legal scholars — counter that the strikes lack clear legal justification and sufficient evidence that the boats were actively transporting drugs. They have also raised concerns about civilian harm and the absence of congressional authorization for extended military operations in Latin America.