US Military Hits Suspected Drug-Smuggling Vessel in Eastern Pacific

The US military on Thursday carried out a strike on a vessel suspected of involvement in narcotics trafficking in the Eastern Pacific, the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has confirmed.

According to SOUTHCOM, the operation was conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear under the direction of its commander, Gen. Francis L. Donovan, who formally assumed command of SOUTHCOM earlier Thursday during a ceremony at the Pentagon.

In a statement posted on X, the command said intelligence assessments showed the vessel was moving along known drug-smuggling routes in the Eastern Pacific and was actively engaged in narco-trafficking activities.

“Two narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No US military forces were harmed,” SOUTHCOM said.

Earlier in the day, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed that several senior cartel figures operating within SOUTHCOM’s area of responsibility had halted narcotics operations indefinitely following what he described as “highly effective” recent military strikes in the Caribbean.

Hegseth did not provide further details or evidence to support the claim.

The Trump administration has stepped up military operations in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean since September, saying the measures are aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks operating across the region.