SOUTHCOM Strikes Drug Boat in Operation Southern Spear, One Dead
A U.S. military strike on a drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific killed one narco-terrorist and rescued two survivors as part of Operation Southern Spear.
The lethal kinetic operation, carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear under the command of Gen. Francis L. Donovan, targeted a vessel confirmed by intelligence to be transiting known narco-trafficking routes and engaged in drug smuggling activities, according to Breitbart News.
SOUTHCOM stated that one male narco-terrorist was killed in the action while two male survivors were rescued. The U.S. Coast Guard was immediately notified to activate search and rescue operations for the survivors. No American military personnel were injured during the engagement.
The command released a brief unclassified video of the strike on social media platforms.
Tuesday’s operation marks the latest in a sweeping counter-narcoterrorism campaign under Operation Southern Spear, which has conducted more than 60 publicly documented strikes against drug trafficking vessels since its launch last year. The cumulative death toll from these operations has reached at least 208 individuals identified as narco-terrorists. This week’s strike is the second publicly confirmed action in June, following a June 3 engagement that killed two male narco-terrorists aboard another smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific.
SOUTHCOM describes its mission as confronting drug cartels and narco-terrorist organizations that operate across the Western Hemisphere, trafficking illicit drugs, weapons, humans, and contraband while destabilizing the region through violence and corruption. The command deploys joint task forces and coordinates with interagency and international partners to detect, disrupt, and dismantle these criminal networks in support of presidential directives.
As part of broader efforts to counter cartel operations throughout the Americas, Gen. Donovan traveled to Guatemala earlier this month for meetings with President Bernardo Arévalo and senior government officials. The visit aimed to expand bilateral defense cooperation under the Shield of the Americas counter-cartel coalition led by the United States.
SOUTHCOM emphasized Guatemala’s leading role in regional efforts to confront narco-terrorist networks and deny them safe haven in the Western Hemisphere. The command praised Guatemala’s recent successes as evidence of the nation’s commitment and leadership in the fight against organized crime.
The statement highlighted that consistent with America First policy and at the direction of the U.S. Department of War, Southern Command is strengthening cooperation with committed partners across Central America, South America, and the Caribbean to combat violent cartels and U.S.-designated terrorist organizations threatening citizens, economies, and shared security.
Gen. Donovan’s Guatemala visit occurred shortly after the Central American nation reportedly agreed to permit U.S. military forces to conduct joint strikes against drug trafficking groups operating within Guatemalan territory. A comparable agreement was signed with Ecuador and President Daniel Noboa in March. This week, Noboa met with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon to discuss bilateral cooperation on narco-terrorism and eliminating illegal mining operations by criminal gangs in Ecuador.
With information from Breitbart News
