May 5, 2026 / 10:58 PM EDT / CBS/AP
The U.S. military launched another strike Tuesday on a vessel suspected of transporting drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men.
In a social media post, U.S. Southern Command said its commander, Gen. Francis L. Donovan, ordered a “lethal kinetic strike” on a boat it alleged was operated by “Designated Terrorist Organizations” and “was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” but provided no evidence. The command posted unclassified video of the strike.
The attack came a day after U.S. forces struck an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing two people.
The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has continued since early September and, according to the Pentagon, has killed at least 190 people in total.
Despite the Iran war, the strikes have ramped up again in recent weeks, showing the administration’s aggressive efforts to stop what it calls “narcoterrorism” in the Western Hemisphere are continuing. The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.
The attacks began as the U.S. built up its largest military presence in the region in generations and came months ahead of the January raid that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty.
In Tuesday’s attack, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted alleged traffickers along known smuggling routes and posted a video on X showing a boat cruising before a huge explosion left the vessel in flames.
President Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels and has justified the attacks as necessary to stem the flow of drugs and fatal overdoses. His administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”
Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes.