US military strikes suspected drug-trafficking boat in eastern Pacific, killing two and leaving one survivor. Second operation in a week highlights expanding anti-narcotics campaign and growing debate in Washington.
WEBDESK – Act Global Media
The United States military carried out a lethal strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people and leaving one survivor, according to US Southern Command.
Military officials said intelligence identified the boat as being operated by a designated terrorist-linked trafficking network moving along known narcotics routes. After the strike, authorities alerted the US Coast Guard to launch a search-and-rescue mission for the surviving individual. It was not immediately clear whether the survivor had been recovered.
The operation marks the second such strike in less than a week. On Feb. 5, US forces targeted another smuggling vessel in the same region, also killing two people on board.
Part of wider anti-narcotics campaign
Both actions fall under Operation Southern Spear, launched in November 2025 to combat narco-terrorism across the Western Hemisphere. The campaign has seen multiple military operations in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific as Washington seeks to curb the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.
US officials say the strategy combines intelligence tracking, maritime interception, and direct military action against trafficking networks operating in international waters.
Political debate in Washington
The strikes have sparked criticism from some US lawmakers who argue military force should not be used without explicit congressional authorization. Several members of Congress have introduced measures seeking to limit unauthorized military actions tied to regional counter-narcotics efforts.
Despite the concerns, the administration maintains that the operations are necessary to protect the United States from drug trafficking networks and related security threats in the region.
The eastern Pacific corridor remains one of the world’s busiest maritime drug routes, frequently used by traffickers moving cocaine from South America toward North America.
