The U.S. military has confirmed that four men were killed in a strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in international waters of the Eastern Pacific, marking the latest in a series of deadly operations targeting alleged narcotics networks. The action, carried out Thursday, is part of the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to combat drug smuggling through intensified military intervention at sea.
According to U.S. Southern Command, intelligence indicated that the vessel was transporting illegal narcotics along a well-known trafficking corridor. Acting on this information, Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched what it described as a “lethal kinetic strike,” authorised by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The command said the boat was operated by a designated terrorist organisation and that all four men aboard were killed.
The strike adds to more than 20 similar U.S. military operations conducted this year across the Caribbean and Pacific regions, resulting in over 80 deaths linked to suspected narcotics trafficking. Thursday’s action was the first such strike in more than a week, following months of heightened military involvement in anti-drug missions.
The campaign began with a widely scrutinised airstrike on September 2 targeting an alleged drug vessel in the Caribbean. President Trump later claimed the operation killed 11 members of the Tren de Aragua gang. However, the incident has come under renewed examination after reports suggested that surviving individuals from the initial blast were killed in a subsequent strike. Critics have questioned whether the follow-up action violated the U.S. Law of War Manual, which prohibits attacking shipwrecked or incapacitated individuals who are no longer posing a threat.
Hegseth, responding to the controversy on Tuesday, acknowledged watching the first September strike in real time but said he did not witness any survivors in the water or the second strike that critics cite. He defended the actions taken by Admiral Frank Bradley, calling his decision to sink the vessel and neutralise the threat appropriate under the circumstances, even while describing the situation as occurring in the “fog of war.”
As the administration continues its aggressive policy against suspected drug-smuggling networks, questions about the legality, proportionality and oversight of these lethal maritime operations are likely to intensify. The latest Pacific strike underscores both the scale of the administration’s efforts and the growing debate surrounding the rules of engagement at sea.
