US Forces Strike 'Narco-Trafficking Vessel' In Eastern Pacific, 4 Killed

Last Updated:December 18, 2025, 07:47 IST

The attack brought the total number of known boat strikes to 26, while at least 99 people have been killed, as per the numbers announced by the Trump administration.

Under the orders of Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, the US military struck a vessel in the Eastern Pacific. (Reuters/X)

The US military conducted a lethal strike on a vessel it said was engaged in narco-trafficking operations in the Eastern Pacific, killing four male “narco-terrorists", according to the US Southern Command, which oversees military activities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Sharing a video of the strike on X, the US Southern Command said, “On Dec. 17, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organisation in international waters."

“Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. A total of four male narco-terrorists were killed, and no US military forces were harmed."

The attack brought the total number of known boat strikes to 26, while at least 99 people have been killed, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration. US President Donald Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted the US is engaged in an “armed conflict" with drug cartels.

This comes as the Trump administration is facing increasing scrutiny from lawmakers over its campaigns against drug cartels that involve boat strikes. Earlier, House Republicans rejected a pair of Democratic-backed resolutions on Wednesday that would have forced the Trump administration to seek authorisation from Congress before continuing attacks against cartels.

Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, argued that Trump’s aggressions in the region were really because “the president is coveting Venezuelan oil", according to The Associated Press.

On the other hand, Republican leaders have increasingly expressed support for Trump’s campaign, even as it potentially escalates into a direct confrontation with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. However, the boat strikes are under deep scrutiny after it was revealed that a September 2 strike killed two people who had survived an initial attack.

Meanwhile, Trump announced that he is ordering a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers" into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on Maduro. The move comes after US forces last week seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, an unusual move that followed a buildup of military forces in the region.

News world US Forces Strike 'Narco-Trafficking Vessel' In Eastern Pacific, 4 Killed

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