Pentagon Inspector General Probes Legality of U.S. Drug Boat Strikes

The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General has opened an investigation into U.S. Southern Command’s Operation Southern Spear, which has targeted alleged drug‑smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Since the campaign began last fall, the military reports destroying 59 small vessels and killing 193 people, with nearly 60 strikes carried out.

The probe will examine the intelligence, targeting process and compliance with established rules of engagement, reviewing the six‑phase targeting methodology used by Southern Command. Critics, including lawmakers and legal advisers, have questioned whether the strikes violated international law or the law of armed conflict, citing instances such as a follow‑up strike on a boat that already had survivors.

The investigation follows internal concerns and external advocacy pressure, and it will involve reviews at the Pentagon and Southern Command’s headquarters in Miami. Recent data show three strikes in May that killed seven people. Command leadership changed after Admiral Alvin Holsey stepped down and Marine Corps General Frank Donovan assumed command.