The US military said it carried out a deadly strike against an alleged drug trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific, the first known attack in more than two months.

The US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said on X that its Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific. SOUTHCOM said two people were killed in the strike on Sunday.

First Known strike Since June 21

The strikes are believed to be the first since June 21. It was not clear why operations against suspected drug routes in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific paused, CNN reported.

Before the pause, US forces had destroyed at least 67 vessels and killed at least 221 people since the “Operation Southern Spear” campaign began in September 2025, based on official announcements and CNN’s analysis of search and rescue efforts.

Administration Says It Is In Armed Conflict

The administration has told Congress that the United States is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. It has described those killed as “unlawful combatants” and said it can carry out lethal strikes without judicial review because of a classified finding by the US Department of Justice.

Some members of Congress and human rights groups have questioned the basis for that approach and argued that suspected drug traffickers should instead be prosecuted. They said that was the policy for interdiction carried out by the US before President Donald Trump took office.

Other law enforcement officials and experts have also expressed doubt about the strategy and whether it has led to meaningful changes in the region’s drug trade.

SOUTHCOM Commander Reaffirms Commitment

In its statement on Monday, SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan reiterated the military’s commitment to tackling the drug trade. He said the operation aims to disrupt cartel operations, dismantle leadership structures and eliminate what he described as cartel violence across the region.

Donovan also said the mission showed “lethal precision” and determination to protect the US homeland, according to the post.

The Pentagon’s inspector general reported on May 20 that the official mission for Operation Southern Spear is classified.

Earlier in the month, Senator Tim Kaine told the White House that, following “a careful review” of classified information he had seen, the strikes have likely illegally killed “individuals who are not involved in narcotrafficking”. The Virginia Democrat, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, urged Trump to “examine the circumstances of these strikes” and to stop what he called an “illegal, costly and ineffective” operation.

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24 August 2026

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Yet more piracy on the high seas ,they now also target Russian,Chinese and Iranian shipping it's getting quite a lot more dangerous on the seas than it always has been thank to these pirates.