The U.S. military struck an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday, killing one “narco-terrorist.”
U.S. Southern Command (Southcom) shared a 27-second video of the strike on X, adding that the vessel was “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters” and was “transiting along known narco-trafficking routes” in the eastern Pacific.
No U.S. military forces were injured in the latest operations, Southcom noted.
The U.S. military has now conducted a minimum of 27 strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea since early September, killing at least 105 people. The Pentagon has alleged that the boats were carrying drugs headed for the U.S.
The strikes have come under increased scrutiny on Capitol Hill, particularly after the military confirmed that it conducted a follow-up strike that killed two survivors during its initial Sept. 2 operation.
The operations have also ramped up tensions with Venezuela and its leader, Nicolás Maduro, whom the Trump administration has dubbed an “illegitimate leader.” The administration alleges that Maduro is the head of a drug-trafficking terrorist organization.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed lawmakers on the strikes last week. After the briefing, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said that the two Cabinet officials admitted that intelligence suggests that the accused drug boats are smuggling cocaine, not fentanyl, and were en route to Europe, not the U.S.