The US military killed two people in a military strike in the Eastern Pacific, SOUTHCOM said
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The US military carried out another deadly strike against suspects in the Eastern Pacific on Monday, killing two people believed to be involved in drug trafficking, according to the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
“It is using systemic friction on the cartels,” SOUTHCOM said on the X site. “On April 13, at the order of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a deadly strike on a ship owned by Terrorist Terrorist Organizations.
“Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was traveling on known drug trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in drug trafficking,” the document continued. “Two drug terrorists were killed during this operation. No American soldiers were injured.”
The strike comes two days after SOUTHCOM carried out a similar operation with two other ships suspected of being operated by designated groups.
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US forces have killed two suspected cartel operatives in a Pacific strike, as SOUTHCOM steps up operations targeting drug-trafficking routes. (US Southern Command X Post)
Officials say intelligence has confirmed that the vessels were traveling along known Eastern Pacific drug-trafficking routes and were dealing in narcotics.
Two men were killed in the first strike and three in the second, while one survived the first incident.
SOUTHCOM said it immediately asked the US Coast Guard to conduct a search for the lone survivor. No US troops were injured in either operation.
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SOUTHCOM attacked a drug-smuggling ship in the Caribbean, killing 4 (US Southern Command)
The operations are part of a broader effort by the US military to disrupt cartel-linked maritime smuggling networks, where officials continue to describe such groups using terms associated with terrorism.
The strikes were carried out under Joint Task Force Southern Spear, an ongoing operation focused on targeting international criminal organizations operating in key maritime drug routes in the region.
The Eastern Pacific remains a major corridor for drug trafficking, where cartels often rely on small, fast-moving vessels to transport drugs north to the US and Central America.
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Boat strike targeting suspected terrorists (US Southern Command)
The use of the term “Designated Terrorist Organizations” reflects a more aggressive stance by the Trump administration, which has expanded the use of military force against suspected drug traffickers beyond traditional law enforcement.
SOUTHCOM did not release further details about who was killed or the specific groups involved.
The command is responsible for military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counter-narcotics operations aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks that threaten US interests.
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The US has carried out a number of strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels in recent months as part of a broader campaign to dismantle cartel-related human trafficking operations and increase pressure on international criminal organizations.
Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
