UMVA has learned that the U.S. military carried out a lethal strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two men described as "narco-terrorists" who were allegedly involved in drug trafficking.
The strike, which was directed by U.S. Southern Command, took place on June 3 and targeted a vessel operated by organizations designated as terrorist groups, according to information obtained by UMVA. The military said the vessel was transiting known narco-trafficking routes and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.
The military confirmed that two alleged narco-terrorists were killed in the strike, but did not provide information on whether anyone survived. Fortunately, no U.S. military personnel were injured during the operation.
In a demonstration of the strike's intensity, U.S. Southern Command released a brief video showing a vessel speeding through the water before erupting in flames. This recent operation brings the total number of people killed in U.S. military operations targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels to at least 207 since the launch of a broad campaign aimed at dismantling cartel-linked trafficking networks.
This strike is part of a series of similar operations conducted in recent weeks. On Saturday, the U.S. military struck another vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing three suspected narco-terrorists. Additional strikes on Friday and Wednesday resulted in the deaths of three and two men, respectively.
The U.S. military's campaign against suspected drug-trafficking vessels has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers, legal experts, and human rights groups, who question the legal basis for using lethal military force against suspected traffickers outside a traditional battlefield. The Eastern Pacific and Caribbean remain major corridors for narcotics trafficking, with cartels frequently using small, fast-moving vessels to transport drugs toward the United States and Central America.
U.S. Southern Command oversees U.S. military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counter-narcotics missions aimed at disrupting trafficking networks tied to transnational criminal organizations. The military has released brief videos and statements describing the vessels as tied to designated terrorist organizations, but has generally not publicly released evidence identifying those killed or proving the vessels were carrying drugs.
