February 5, 2026 / 10:12 PM EST / CBS News
U.S. forces struck an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific on Thursday, the 38th boat struck in Latin American waters over roughly five months, U.S. Southern Command said. The command reported two fatalities and posted on X that intelligence indicated the vessel was operated by a designated terrorist organization and was following known narco-trafficking routes. Southern Command also released a short unclassified video showing a boat exploding and burning.
Since early September, the military has carried out 36 airstrikes against at least 38 vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific, actions U.S. officials say have resulted in at least 128 deaths. Officials say the pace of strikes slowed after Jan. 3, when U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — an operation the Trump administration says revealed ties between Maduro and drug trafficking groups. Only two vessels have been struck since that capture: one in the Pacific on Jan. 23 and the strike reported Thursday.
The administration argues the campaign is necessary to disrupt narcotics flows and has informed Congress that the U.S. is engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels, characterizing crews of these boats as “unlawful combatants.” Supporters say the strikes target networks that traffic large quantities of illegal drugs and pose threats to regional security.
Critics, including Democratic lawmakers, counter that the strikes lack clear legal justification and that the administration has not provided sufficient evidence that the intercepted boats were en route to the United States with narcotics. Opposition intensified after revelations last year that two survivors of the campaign’s first strike on Sept. 2 were later killed in a follow-on attack, which drew heavy condemnation from critics of the program.
Lawmakers have also expressed concern about a wider U.S. military buildup in the region, including the reopening of a naval base in Puerto Rico and operations tied to Maduro’s capture. Congressional Democrats note that Congress has not authorized the use of military force for these actions.
The administration maintains the operations are lawful and do not require additional congressional approval. Democrats have introduced resolutions aimed at restricting U.S. military activity in the area, but those measures have not been enacted.