US military says it struck vessel in eastern Pacific, killing two people

The US military announced it conducted a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two people identified as "narco-terrorists." According to US Southern Command, the vessel was traveling along known drug trafficking routes. This strike is the first since Trump ordered the military to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Since early September, the US military has conducted over 30 strikes against boats allegedly smuggling drugs off South America, resulting in over 100 deaths. The US has recently focused on seizing sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela and controlling the distribution of Venezuelan oil after attempting to oust Maduro.

The US military conducted a deadly strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday, killing two people and leaving one survivor. US Southern Command stated the boat was involved in drug trafficking operations. This is the first known strike on a suspected drug boat since the US raid earlier this month that targeted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The US military released a video showing the boat exploding after being struck. The Coast Guard was notified to conduct search and rescue operations for the survivor. The US military has recently focused on seizing sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela following the US raid to capture Maduro on drug trafficking charges.

On January 23, 2026, the U.S. military conducted a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean accused of drug trafficking. This is the first known strike since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier in the month. According to U.S. Southern Command, the boat was engaged in "narco-trafficking operations," resulting in two deaths and one survivor. The U.S. Coast Guard was notified to conduct search and rescue operations for the survivor. Since early September, there have been 36 known U.S. military strikes against alleged drug smuggling boats in South American waters, resulting in at least 117 deaths.

On January 23, 2026, the US military, under President Trump's administration, conducted a lethal boat strike in the Eastern Pacific, killing two people. This marks the first such attack in 2026 and brings the total death toll from US boat strikes in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific to 125 since September 2, when Trump's campaign began. US Southern Command stated the vessel was engaged in narco-trafficking and operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. One survivor is yet to be recovered, and the US Coast Guard has been notified. These actions, along with the recent military operation in Venezuela, have drawn criticism from world leaders and human rights advocates, who are raising concerns about extrajudicial killings and the treatment of survivors.