US Southern Command strike kills two on drug boat in Eastern Pacific

On June 3, the U.S. Southern Command ordered Joint Task Force Southern Spear to conduct a kinetic strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific that it said was operated by designated terrorist organizations involved in narcotics trafficking. The U.S. military reported that two men it described as “narco‑terrorists” were killed and that no U.S. personnel were injured.

The attack is part of the broader “Southern Spear” (also called “Lanza del Sur”) campaign that began in August 2025. With this strike, the total number of people killed in U.S. boat attacks rises to at least 207 since the campaign’s launch. U.S. officials characterize the operation as part of an “armed conflict” with Latin‑American drug cartels, while human‑rights groups and some lawmakers have questioned the legal basis for using lethal force in international waters and note the lack of publicly‑provided evidence that the vessel was actually carrying drugs. A video released by Southern Command shows the boat exploding after being hit by a high‑speed projectile.