1 hour ago
After the attack, the military said it contacted the United States Coast Guard to activate search-and-rescue procedures for the surviving individual. Officials have not disclosed the nationality of those on board or where the survivor was taken.
The operation took place on Monday under the direction of United States Southern Command.(Photo: X/@Southcom)
UPDATED: Feb 10, 2026 07:00 IST
The US military has carried out a lethal strike on a suspected drug trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two people and leaving one survivor, in the latest escalation of Washington’s campaign against narco-smuggling networks.
In a statement posted on X, the military said the vessel was “engaged in narco-trafficking operations” and was travelling along known smuggling routes.
According to SOUTHCOM, the strike was authorised by its commander, Francis L. Donovan, and carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear.
On Feb. 9, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, 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 pic.twitter.com/fa5vppjcCy
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) February 10, 2026“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the statement said.
After the attack, the military said it contacted the United States Coast Guard to activate search-and-rescue procedures for the surviving individual. Officials have not disclosed the nationality of those on board or where the survivor was taken.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN
The latest strike comes as the Trump administration continues to promote what it calls a renewed and aggressive campaign against international drug cartels.
Senior officials have argued that trafficking networks pose not only a criminal threat but also a national security risk, citing their links to armed groups and organised crime syndicates in Latin America.
The strike on the suspected narco-trafficking vessel is part of a broader US military campaign that has expanded over recent months, particularly against networks linked to Venezuela and organisations Washington claims are involved in drug routes to the United States.
In early January, US forces also carried out a high-profile operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of Nicols Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Maduro, long indicted in the United States on narcotics and narco-terrorism charges, was flown to New York, where he has pleaded not guilty to multiple federal offences.
- Ends
With inputs from agencies
Published By:
Satyam Singh
Published On:
Feb 10, 2026
Tune In
