&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "US military strikes another alleged drug boat in eastern Pacific, killing two; search for survivor launched")
The US military on Friday (Jan 23) said it struck another alleged drug trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific, killing two. Three people were visible on the boat in the footage shared by US Southern Command. The statement added that the SOUTHCOM “immediately” notified the Coast Guard to search for the third person who survived.
“On Jan. 23, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” US Southern Command said in a post on X. “Two narco-terrorists were killed and one survived the strike. Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified US Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor.”
US President Donald Trump’s administration began striking alleged drug smuggling vessels in early September, claiming that it is effectively at war with “narco-terrorists” operating out of Venezuela.
Despite mounting criticism over the legality of the US military action in the Caribbean and Pacific, the Trump administration has provided no evidence that the vessels are involved in drug trafficking.
The latest strike comes after the Venezuelan leader, Nicolas Maduro, who has been accused by Trump of smuggling drugs into the United States, was seized by American forces.
On January 3, the US military launched Operation Absolute Resolve, in which they entered Venezuela, bombed Caracas and captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their presidential palace. While no US casualties in the operation, Havana authorities said that 32 Cubans were killed during the US attack on Caracas that resulted in the capture of Maduro. One Colombian was also killed. Trump has also warned Mexico, Colombia, and Cuba of a possible US military action.
