US Military Strike Kills Two Suspected Narco-Terrorists on Caribbean Vessel

The U.S. military carried out a strike on a vessel in the Caribbean linked to suspected drug trafficking, killing two people, U.S. Southern Command announced.

In a post on X, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a "lethal kinetic strike" on May 4 at the direction of commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan.

Intelligence indicated the vessel was traveling along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was involved in drug trafficking operations. Officials described the vessel as operated by designated terrorist organizations.

The strike killed two male suspected "narco-terrorists." No U.S. military personnel were harmed, the statement said.

The action forms part of an ongoing campaign against suspected drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters that began in early September and has killed at least 188 people so far. Other strikes have occurred in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Operations have increased in recent weeks, even as the U.S. remains involved in conflict with Iran, according to officials and prior military statements.

U.S. officials have called the effort part of a broader campaign against what the administration terms "narcoterrorism" in the Western Hemisphere.