A U.S. military operation directed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth intercepted and destroyed a suspected drug trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Thursday, leaving four people dead.
The strike, carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear, marks the 22nd such engagement under Hegseth’s command and pushes the operation’s reported death toll to 86.
According to U.S. Southern Command, intelligence tracked the boat as it navigated a known smuggling corridor in international waters. Officials identified the operators as members of a “Designated Terrorist Organization” and stated the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics.
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“Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike,” the command confirmed in a statement, noting that this is the eighth time a narcotics vessel has been targeted in the current campaign. Authorities also released footage of the operation on social media.
This incident represents the first lethal strike in over two weeks.
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