U.S. military kills alleged narco-terrorist in lethal strike on drug-trafficking vessel in Eastern Pacific
U.S. Military Kills Suspected Narco‑Terrorist in Eastern Pacific Strike
May 26, 2024 – Eastern Pacific
The United States military carried out a lethal strike on a suspected drug‑trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Tuesday, killing an alleged narco‑terrorist and leaving two survivors. The operation was ordered by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan and executed by Joint Task Force Southern Spear.
SOUTHCOM posted on X that “on May 26, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations.” The post added that “intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco‑trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco‑trafficking operations.”
The strike took place in the Eastern Pacific, a key corridor used by cartels to move narcotics toward the United States and Central America. The vessel, believed to be operating for a designated terrorist organization, was intercepted while traveling along established drug‑smuggling routes. One crew member, identified by military sources as an alleged narco‑terrorist, was killed in the attack. Two other individuals survived and were reportedly rescued by U.S. Coast Guard teams that were dispatched immediately after the strike.
No U.S. forces were injured in the operation. SOUTHCOM said it “immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to begin search‑and‑rescue operations for the survivors.” The Coast Guard has been conducting a search for the two survivors, but no further details have been released.
SOUTHCOM did not immediately provide additional information about the individuals targeted or the exact nature of the cargo on the vessel. The command’s brief announcement on X was the sole source of details on the operation.
The strike is part of a broader U.S. effort to disrupt cartel‑linked trafficking networks in the Western Hemisphere. In the months leading up to the Tuesday attack, the military has conducted several other strikes in the region. On May 8, Joint Task Force Southern Spear targeted another vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two male narco‑terrorists and leaving one survivor. Earlier in the month, a separate strike in the Caribbean resulted in the deaths of two suspected traffickers.
SOUTHCOM is responsible for overseeing counter‑narcotics missions across Central and South America and the Caribbean. These operations aim to dismantle drug smuggling operations that rely on small, fast vessels to transport narcotics. The recent strikes underscore the U.S. military’s ongoing commitment to targeting the maritime arms of drug cartels and other criminal organizations that pose a threat to national and regional security.