According to the Southern Command, the military operation hit a boat that was operated by groups linked to drug trafficking
The United States Southern Command carried out an attack in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, in international waters, on Friday (20.Feb.2026), killing 3 suspected drug traffickers. The military action is part of one conducted in international waters since September 2025, under the coordination of (US Southern Command).
In a post on , the US government stated that the boat was involved in drug trafficking operations.
The military command released a video showing a missile hitting the vessel, which burst into flames.
Watch (16s):
On Feb. 20, at the direction of 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…
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom)
The offensive is carried out after another action carried out on Monday (Feb 16), when United States troops deployed 2 vessels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and another in the Caribbean. The operation resulted in the deaths of 11 people. The military command stated that they were narco-terrorists.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump (Republican), stated that the country is involved in a “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America. He justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to contain the flow of drugs into the country.
