The U.S. military killed two alleged narco-terrorists during a strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday, according to U.S. Southern Command. Joint Task Force Southern Spear, directed by SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, carried out the lethal kinetic strike after intelligence confirmed the boat was transiting known narco-trafficking routes and engaged in drug operations.

SOUTHCOM announced the action in a statement on X, noting that "two male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed." The command released video footage showing the vessel before it exploded in flames.

The strike is part of Operation Southern Spear, a campaign launched in fall 2025 to target vessels used by drug cartels designated as terrorist organizations, such as Tren de Aragua and the National Liberation Army. President Trump declared a non-international armed conflict with these groups to curb the flow of illicit drugs into the U.S. The operation has involved U.S. Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard assets, increasingly using unmanned vessels.

Since September 2025, the U.S. has conducted dozens of similar strikes on at least 48 vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing about 181 alleged narco-terrorists, with three captured. Earlier this month marked the 50th boat strike, and recent actions in April included the killings of two on April 13, four on April 14, and three on April 15.

The Trump administration justifies the operations under Article II authority and the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, framing targets as unlawful combatants threatening American lives through fentanyl and other drugs. Defense officials emphasize the strikes disrupt cartel networks fueling U.S. overdoses.

Democrats in Congress have raised concerns over the legal basis and lack of transparency, while international critics, including Venezuela and human rights groups, question civilian casualties and call the actions extrajudicial killings. Some strikes have involved survivors later targeted, drawing war crimes accusations, though U.S. officials maintain strict intelligence vetting.

This latest action continues the intensified counternarcotics effort amid broader regional tensions, including operations in Ecuador and Venezuela.