US Military Strikes Vessel in Eastern Pacific, Killing Two People

The US Southern Command (SouthCom) executed a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel in the eastern Pacific on August 23, killing two people.

SouthCom announced the strike on Monday, stating the vessel was operating along established narco-trafficking routes and that "Confirmed intelligence revealed the vessel’s active involvement in narco-trafficking." SouthCom Commander General Francis L Donovan stated, "We are committed to imposing total systemic friction on narco-terrorists" and described the operation as a powerful demonstration of our lethal precision.

This strike marks the first reported US military attack on an alleged drug-trafficking boat in more than two months. A pixelated black-and-white video posted to SouthCom’s X account showed a vessel moving through water before an explosion. The operation is part of a campaign launched nearly a year ago by the Donald Trump administration targeting narco-terrorists smuggling drugs into the US.

The latest casualties bring the total lives claimed by the boat bombing campaign to at least 223 people. Critics have raised concerns about the campaign. Adam Isaacson, director of the Defense Oversight program at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), criticized the administration for resuming strikes despite overwhelming evidence that they are murder. Brian Finucane, senior adviser to the US Program at the International Crisis Group, described it as the "Trump administration's lawless killing spree at sea."

Nicholas Grossman, professor of international relations at the University of Illinois, called the campaign murderous and illegal, stating victims are not terrorists and may not even be drug traffickers. A leaked Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) analysis less than a month ago reportedly revealed the boat-bombing campaign has not reduced the amount of cocaine entering the country, as cartels have found alternate shipping methods.