Southern Command executes lethal strike against narco-boat in Eastern Pacific

The U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced Tuesday it had conducted a lethal kinetic strike against a narco-boat operated by designated terrorist organizations, which was transiting in the Eastern Pacific. According to a statement posted on its official SOUTHCOM X account, the operation was conducted under the direction of SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan and was executed by Joint Task Force Southern Spear.

Military officials stated that intelligence assessments confirmed that the vessel was transiting established drug trafficking routes and was actively engaged in drug trafficking operations. While SOUTHCOM did not specify which narco-terrorist organization the targeted vessel belonged to, the agency detailed that two narco-terrorists were killed in the action. "On Feb. 5, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Two narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed," SOUTHCOM wrote on its X account.

Hegseth's words

The announcement of the attack came shortly after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that several drug cartels in the Caribbean region had indefinitely ceased operations, following a series of lethal attacks by U.S. forces in both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific. According to the official count, the U.S. offensive has so far left 36 attacks, 126 dead and 2 rescued in the Southern Command area of operations.

"WINNING: Some top cartel drug-traffickers in the @SOUTHCOM AOR have decided to cease all narcotics operations INDEFINITELY due to recent (highly effective) kinetic strikes in the Caribbean. This is deterrence through strength. @POTUS is SAVING American lives," Hegseth wrote on his X account.

The words of President Donald Trump's administration's secretary of war come a month dafter the capture of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a historic U.S. military operation in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. Both the socialist leader and Flores were transferred to New York to face charges of narcoterrorism, drug trafficking and arms possession.