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The U.S. military said it carried out a lethal strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men it described as “narco-terrorists.”
U.S. Southern Command said in a statement on X that the strike took place on May 30 at the direction of SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan.
According to SOUTHCOM, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a “lethal kinetic strike” on a vessel operated by designated terrorist organizations.
The command said intelligence confirmed the vessel was traveling along known narco-trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.
“Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action,” SOUTHCOM said.
No U.S. military forces were harmed, the command added.
Black-and-white video footage shared with the post showed a boat on the open sea before it was engulfed by a large explosion.
The statement did not provide further details on the identities of those killed, the vessel’s route or the type of drugs allegedly involved.
The U.S. military launched Operation Southern Spear in early September, with President Donald Trump saying Washington is effectively at war with drug cartels operating out of Latin America.
The latest attack brought the total number of people killed to more than 200 since the Trump administration began the offensive in September, according to an AFP tally.
The administration has not provided definitive evidence that the vessels targeted in the strikes were involved in drug trafficking.
Legal experts and rights groups say the strikes could amount to extrajudicial killings because they have apparently targeted civilians who do not pose an immediate threat to the U.S.
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