The U.S. military has now reportedly carried out another round of strikes against suspected drug smugglers, destroying three vessels operating in international waters and killing several alleged narco-terrorists, while leaving multiple suspected traffickers alive after they jumped overboard, according to U.S. Southern Command.
U.S. Southern Command said Wednesday that American forces conducted kinetic strikes against “three narco-trafficking vessels traveling as a convoy.” The strikes were carried out the previous day and resulted in the destruction of all three boats, which officials said were operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations.
According to Southern Command, intelligence confirmed the vessels were moving along known narco-trafficking routes and had transferred narcotics among themselves before the strikes took place. In the first engagement, three alleged narco-terrorists aboard one vessel were killed. Southern Command said the remaining suspects on the other two boats abandoned ship, jumping into the water and distancing themselves before follow-on strikes sank those vessels as well.
“These vessels were operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters,” Southern Command said in a statement posted on X. Officials emphasized that the operation was based on intelligence confirming the boats’ involvement in narcotics trafficking.
Following the strikes, Southern Command said it immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to initiate a search-and-rescue mission. The Coast Guard later confirmed it had dispatched resources to assist mariners in distress in the Pacific Ocean after receiving notice from the War Department.
American officials told CBS News that approximately eight suspected smugglers survived the strikes. The engagements took place in the Eastern Pacific, a region that has become a major corridor for maritime drug trafficking operations.
The latest action is part of an aggressive campaign launched by the Trump administration in September targeting vessels believed to be transporting narcotics toward the United States. Since that effort began, more than 100 suspected drug traffickers have been killed in strikes against more than 30 boats, according to U.S. officials. Survivors from earlier operations have been repatriated to their home countries and referred for prosecution on drug trafficking charges.
The campaign has marked a sharp escalation in U.S. efforts to disrupt international drug networks before narcotics reach American shores. Officials have repeatedly argued that striking traffickers at sea cuts off supply lines and sends a clear deterrent message to criminal organizations.
Last week, American forces expanded the scope of operations by striking a drug facility at a Venezuelan port that officials say was used to load narcotics onto smuggling vessels. The move signaled a broader effort to target not only boats at sea but also the infrastructure supporting trafficking operations.
President Donald Trump described the strike during remarks on Monday, saying the operation dealt a major blow to the smugglers’ ability to move drugs. Trump said there was a large explosion at the dock area where the boats were loaded with narcotics.
“We hit all the boats, and now we hit the area,” Trump said. He described the port facility as the place where traffickers “implement” their operations and said it “is no longer around.”
The latest strikes underscore the administration’s continued reliance on military force as a central tool in its fight against international drug trafficking. U.S. officials have indicated that operations will continue as long as intelligence identifies vessels and facilities tied to narcotics smuggling, signaling that the pressure campaign is far from over.
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