US forces carried out a series of lethal kinetic strikes against vessels linked to designated terrorist organisations operating along known narcotics trafficking routes in international waters in late December, following multiple operations directed by the US Secretary of War, according to the command.
According to US Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted three separate strike events between 29 and 31 December 2025, targeting vessels assessed through intelligence reporting to be engaged in narco-trafficking operations in the Eastern Pacific and surrounding maritime routes. The command stated that no US military personnel were injured during any of the operations.
On 29 December, USSOUTHCOM said a single vessel was struck after intelligence confirmed it was transiting a known narcotics corridor and operating on behalf of a designated terrorist organisation. Two male narco-terrorists were killed during the engagement, with no further casualties reported, the command stated.
The following day, on 30 December, US forces conducted kinetic strikes against a convoy of three narco-trafficking vessels operating together in international waters. According to USSOUTHCOM, intelligence indicated narcotics had been transferred between the vessels prior to the engagement. Three individuals aboard the first vessel were killed during the initial strike, while remaining personnel abandoned the other two vessels by jumping overboard before follow-on engagements sank them. The command said the US Coast Guard was notified immediately after the strikes to activate search and rescue procedures.
A third operation took place on 31 December, when Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out lethal strikes against two additional vessels described as being operated by designated terrorist organisations and actively engaged in narcotics trafficking. USSOUTHCOM stated that a total of five narco-terrorists were killed during this action, with three aboard the first vessel and two aboard the second.
All three operations were described by the command as intelligence-driven and conducted in international waters. USSOUTHCOM stated that the vessels targeted were operating along established trafficking routes and were directly involved in narcotics activities linked to designated terrorist groups.
The strikes form part of ongoing US efforts to disrupt transnational criminal and terrorist networks operating in the maritime domain, particularly in regions assessed to be critical corridors for narcotics trafficking. USSOUTHCOM has not released further details on the platforms or munitions used in the engagements, and no imagery beyond limited unclassified video material has been provided.
