The United States military has carried out another deadly strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people and leaving one survivor, according to an announcement by the US Southern Command. The command said it notified the US Coast Guard to initiate search-and-rescue efforts for the person who survived the attack.

The “lethal kinetic strike” was conducted on Monday against a boat that the military alleged was involved in narcotics trafficking, but it did not provide evidence supporting that claim. The operations form part of a broader campaign targeting suspected drug routes off the coasts of Latin America.

Lethal kinetic strike and response

In a brief statement posted on social media, US Southern Command said the operation was directed by the joint task force overseeing the effort, known as Operation Southern Spear. “Two narco-terrorists were killed and one survived the strike. Following the engagement, US SOUTHCOM immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor,” the command said.

The military released a short video of the strike, showing a small motorised boat in its targeting crosshairs before it is struck and explodes. Some of the boat’s structure appears to remain intact after the blast as it slows in the water, but details on the survivor’s condition were not disclosed.

Part of an expanding maritime campaign

Monday’s attack is the third publicly disclosed strike on suspected drug-trafficking boats this year and follows similar operations in January that also left survivors. The campaign has markedly increased since September 2025, when the military began targeting vessels it says are involved in narcotics smuggling in international waters off Latin America.

According to tallies kept by media organisations and monitoring groups, the United States has now struck dozens of vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean, killing at least 130 people. Those figures include the latest deaths reported in this operation.

Legal scrutiny and regional criticism

The strikes have drawn intense scrutiny from legal experts, rights organisations and regional leaders who argue that the United States is acting as judge, jury and executioner without transparent evidence linking the targeted vessels to organised crime. Critics have called the actions extrajudicial killings and raised concerns about compliance with international law.

Particular attention has focused on an earlier attack in September 2025 in which US forces reportedly carried out a follow-up strike that killed survivors clinging to wreckage. Legal experts have said such actions could amount to war crimes if survivors were intentionally targeted.

The administration of President Donald Trump has publicly labelled those killed in the operations as “unlawful combatants” and cited a classified Justice Department opinion to justify lethal action without judicial review, though it has released little supporting evidence.

Campaign context

Operation Southern Spear, led by US Southern Command, is presented by Washington as a key element in efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks before narcotics reach US territory. The campaign has involved strikes on a range of vessels believed to be transporting drugs, primarily along known smuggling routes in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea.