Las The United States Armed Forces attacked one again this Sunday in the Pacific Ocean. The operation ended with six men dead and adds to a military campaign that, according to Washington, has already left more than 150 people dead in similar operations since September 2025.
The attack was confirmed by the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which directs US military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean. According to the military command, the vessel was sailing along a known drug trafficking route in the eastern Pacific and was involved in drug trafficking operations.
In a message posted on social media, SOUTHCOM said its forces carried out a “lethal kinetic attack” against the ship, which according to US intelligence was operated by organizations that Washington considers terrorists. “Six narcoterrorist men died in this action. No US military forces were harmed”the statement indicated.
Part of a broader military campaign
The attack is part of the so-called operation Southern Spear, a military campaign launched by the United States in 2025 to combat maritime drug trafficking in the Peacefulhe Caribbean and other areas of the Western Hemisphere.
Since the beginning of this offensive, the US military has attacked at least 45 vessels suspected of transporting drugs. In total, , according to figures released by the US government itself.
The strategy marks a notable change in the way of combating drug trafficking. For decades, operations focused mainly on intercepting shipments or arresting traffickers. Now, Washington has chosen in some cases to directly destroy vessels on the high seas.
New phase in the war against cartels
The attack comes just days after the president Donald Trump will announce a new regional coalition against drug trafficking and criminal organizations in Latin America, known as “Shield of the Americas”.
The initiative seeks to coordinate several Latin American governments allied with Washington to intensify military and intelligence pressure against the cartels.
In parallel, USA has begun to carry out joint operations with some countries in the region. Last week, for example, US and Ecuadorian troops carried out their first joint military operation against drug trafficking networks in Ecuador.
Criticisms of the strategy
Despite the support of the White Housethese operations have generated strong criticism. Civil organizations and several US legislators question the legality of attacking suspicious vessels without judicial processes or public evidence.
Experts in international law warn that these attacks could be considered extrajudicial executions if the victims’ participation in criminal activities is not clearly demonstrated.
The US government, however, defends that these actions are justified because it considers that the country is in a “armed conflict” against criminal organizations and groups that he describes as “narcoterrorists“.
While that debate continues, the military campaign remains active. And everything indicates that Washington is willing to maintain, and even expand, this offensive on the maritime drug trafficking routes in the hemisphere.
