SOUTHCOM Destroys Drug Boat in Pacific, Two Traffickers Dead
The U.S. Southern Command executed its fifth lethal strike this month against a drug trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two narco-terrorists under Operation Southern Spear.
The operation marks the fifth such military action against drug-running vessels disclosed by SOUTHCOM this month, according to Breitbart News, and forms part of Operation Southern Spear, an active U.S. military counter-narcoterrorism initiative targeting drug trafficking networks.
In an official statement, SOUTHCOM confirmed that Joint Task Force Southern Spear executed the strike under the command of General Francis L. Donovan. Intelligence assessments verified that the targeted vessel was traveling along established narco-trafficking corridors in the Caribbean region and was actively involved in drug smuggling operations at the time of engagement.
The statement noted that two male narco-terrorists were eliminated during the action, with no casualties sustained by U.S. military personnel.
SOUTHCOM released a 12-second unclassified video documenting the kinetic strike through its social media channels on Wednesday.
Operation Southern Spear was formally announced by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth last year with the stated objective of detecting, disrupting, and degrading transnational criminal organizations and illicit maritime networks responsible for smuggling dangerous narcotics destined for the United States.
One day prior to Wednesday’s strike, SOUTHCOM disclosed another lethal kinetic operation against a separate drug trafficking vessel transiting known smuggling routes in the Eastern Pacific. That Tuesday action resulted in one male narco-terrorist killed and two survivors recovered.
Following Tuesday’s engagement, SOUTHCOM immediately coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard to activate search and rescue protocols for the survivors, the command confirmed. No American military forces sustained injuries in that operation.
As of current reporting, kinetic strikes conducted under Operation Southern Spear have resulted in approximately 196 confirmed deaths of individuals identified as narco-terrorists caught engaging in drug trafficking operations across Caribbean and Eastern Pacific waters.
Since the launch of Operation Southern Spear, several U.S.-friendly Latin American governments have deepened cooperation with American counter-narcotics efforts, reflecting President Donald Trump‘s hardline approach to combating the flow of deadly drugs into the United States and protecting American citizens from the harm caused by these substances.
In a significant development, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo‘s administration has reportedly authorized U.S. military forces to conduct joint strikes within Guatemalan territory against drug trafficking organizations operating there. President Arevalo agreed to the airstrikes and additional U.S. military actions during a phone call with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth last week, the left-wing New York Times reported. Operations could commence as soon as next month, according to the publication.
Guatemala’s new joint counter-cartel partnership with the United States comes nearly three months after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa signed a similar bilateral agreement in March.
With information from Breitbart News
