The U.S. military blew up another alleged drug-trafficking boat in the Eastern Pacific on Friday, killing two “narco-terrorists,” but one person survived the operation.
The vessel, operated by a designated terrorist organization, was transiting along “known narco-trafficking routes” in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in “narco-trafficking operations,” according to the U.S. Southern Command (Southcom).
It is unclear which terrorist group the military was referring to and what types of drugs the boats were carrying.
After the strike, which killed two people and left one survivor, the U.S. military notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the search and rescue system for the survivor, Southcom said.
“On Friday, January 23rd, the U.S. Coast Guard was notified by the Department of War’s Southern Command of a person in distress in the Pacific Ocean,” the Coast Guard’s Southwest District public affairs office said in a statement to The Hill. “U.S. Coast Guard District Southwest is coordinating search and rescue operations. Updates will be provided when available.”
The Friday mission marks the first publicly disclosed U.S. military boat strike since Dec. 31, 2025, when U.S. forces killed at least five “narco-terrorists” in two boats operated by a designated terrorist organization.
The latest attack also represents the first drug boat strike by the administration since U.S. Special Forces captured Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 3. U.S. officials have deemed the Venezuelan strongman an “illegitimate leader” and head of a drug cartel.
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Since Sept. 2, the U.S. military has conducted at least 36 boat strikes and has killed at least 125 “narco-terrorists,” in what the administration argues is an effort to curb the flow of illegal drugs in the region and protect the U.S. The attacks have taken place in both the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean Sea. Most of the recent strikes occurred in the Eastern Pacific.
U.S. Says First Boat Strike Since Maduro’s Capture Killed 2 in Eastern Pacific
The U.S. Southern Command said it had asked the Coast Guard to search for one survivor.
The United States military on Friday struck another boat it suspected of smuggling drugs, killing two people, according to the U.S. Southern Command, in its first known boat strike in the eastern Pacific since the capture of Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela.
The U.S. Southern Command, which shared a video of the strike on social media, said the attack targeted a boat sailing along “known narco-trafficking routes” and that there had been one survivor. It said it had asked the U.S. Coast Guard to start a search-and-rescue mission for the survivor.
This latest attack brings the known death toll in the Trump administration’s campaign that claims to be targeting drug smugglers to 125 since early September.
Tracking U.S. Military Killings in Boat Attacks
It was the 36th known strike by the U.S. military since the administration’s campaign began in the Caribbean Sea. The last known strike was on Dec. 31 and killed five people on two boats, according to the Southern Command. A range of legal experts and members of Congress contend that the strikes are illegal extrajudicial killings and, potentially, war crimes.
The heightened military activity in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, including a partial oil blockade on Venezuela, came amid an intensified pressure campaign that was intended to remove Mr. Maduro from power. The U.S. military seized Mr. Maduro on Jan. 3 and took him to New York to face charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy and other counts. He has pleaded not guilty.
The Trump administration has continued to pressure Venezuela. It is pressing its interim government to receive more deportation flights and remove Venezuelan migrants from the United States, portraying them as gang members sent by Mr. Maduro to destabilize the country.
US Military Strikes Boat in Pacific Ocean, First Since Maduro’s Capture
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The U.S. military said Friday it launched a lethal strike against a vessel suspected of drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the first such attack since a raid earlier this month that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
U.S. Southern Command said the boat was operating along known narco-trafficking routes and was actively involved in drug smuggling when it was targeted. Two people were killed in the strike and one survived, according to the command, which said it alerted the U.S. Coast Guard to begin search and rescue operations. Video released by the military showed the vessel traveling through the water before exploding in flames.
Southern Command posted on X, “On Jan. 23, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Two narco-terrorists were killed and one survived the strike. Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified @USCG to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor.”
The strike follows recent U.S. military actions in the region, including late-December operations in which five suspected drug-smuggling boats were hit over two days, killing eight people while others jumped overboard. The Coast Guard later suspended its search for survivors. The most recent boat strikes occurred in late December.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to the media after exiting a meeting with members of Congress and other members of the cabinet to brief …Read More
US Boat Strikes in Caribbean, Pacific: What to Know
With the latest operation, there have been at least 36 known U.S. strikes against suspected drug-smuggling boats in South American waters since early September, killing at least 117 people, according to statements from the U.S. military and President Donald Trump. Most of the strikes have occurred in the Caribbean Sea.
Trump has repeatedly said the controversial U.S. strikes targeting suspected smugglers are having a significant impact on slowing drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
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“We’ve stopped — virtually stopped almost 100% of all drugs coming in by water,” Trump said in remarks on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum at Davos.
The U.S. military’s use of lethal force against suspected drug-smuggling vessels has drawn criticism from human rights advocates and some lawmakers, who question the legal authority and humanitarian impact of the strikes. Opponents argue the operations blur the line between military action and law enforcement, particularly in international waters, and raise concerns about due process for those targeted.
The controversy intensified over reports that two men were killed in September 2025 in a so-called “double-tap” strike, in which a second strike follows an initial attack to ensure a vessel is disabled. Critics say such follow-up strikes risk killing survivors or people attempting to flee or render aid, a practice long condemned by human rights groups in other conflict zones. U.S. officials have defended the operations as necessary to disrupt transnational criminal networks, saying intelligence shows the vessels are actively engaged in narco-trafficking and linked to designated terrorist organizations, and that search-and-rescue efforts are coordinated with the Coast Guard when possible.
This image from video provided by U.S. South Command shows a vessel accused of trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean shortly before it was de…Read More
Oil tankers have been in US crosshairs
Since the Trump administration captured Maduro, the U.S. military has shifted its focus toward seizing sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela. The enforcement actions formed part of a broader White House push to influence Venezuela’s oil exports, with the administration coupling maritime seizures with proposals to leverage Venezuelan barrels in U.S. energy planning.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez and Venezuelan officials are now under pressure from the administration to open the country’s oil sector to greater investment by U.S. energy companies.
Venezuela’s legislature on Thursday advanced a bill that would loosen state control over the country’s vast oil sector, marking the first major overhaul since late socialist leader Hugo Chávez nationalized parts of the industry in 2007.
The measure would roll back decades of state dominance over some of the world’s largest oil reserves, open the door to increased private investment and establish international arbitration mechanisms to resolve disputes involving foreign companies.
US forces strike vessel allegedly tied to narco-terror group killing 2 as crews search for lone survivor
Military activates search-and-rescue system for one survivor who escaped lethal kinetic strike
Military officials conduct lethal strike against vessel in the Eastern Pacific
Video released by U.S. Southern Command shows military forces conducting a lethal strike against a vessel engaged in alleged “narco-trafficking operations,” officials say. This is the first strike since Maduro’s capture. (Credit: Southcom/X)
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U.S. forces executed a lethal kinetic strike Friday on a vessel allegedly operated by a designated terrorist organization, killing two suspected narco-terrorists.
U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) said intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in trafficking operations.
USSOUTHCOM activated its search-and-rescue system to search for one suspected narco-terrorist, who officials said survived the strike.
The Department of War last conducted a kinetic strike in the Eastern Pacific on Dec. 31, targeting three suspected narco-trafficking vessels traveling as a convoy.
LEAVITT DEFENDS TRUMP’S DRUG BOAT STRIKES, SAYS DEMOCRATS ATTACKING U.S. MILITARY ‘STOOPED SO LOW’
U.S. officials carry out lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, engaged in “narco-terrorism operations,” according to the U.S. Southern Command. (U.S. Southern Command via X)
The three ships, allegedly operated by designated terrorist organizations, were traveling in international waters.
Officials claimed those aboard transferred narcotics between the three vessels prior to the strikes.
Three narco-terrorists were reportedly killed on the first vessel, while those on the other two ships jumped out before follow-on engagements sank the vessels.
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USSOUTHCOM announced another kinetic strike against alleged naro-terrorist vessels on Wednesday, Dec. 31. (@Southcom via X)
It is unclear how many survivors escaped.
Despite extensive coordination with international rescue coordination centers, Department of War partners, and Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) system vessels, the Coast Guard said available assets were “extremely limited due to distance and range constraints,” prompting them to suspend the search Jan. 2.
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“Suspending a search is never easy and given the exhaustive search effort, lack of positive indications and declining probability of survival, we have suspended active search efforts pending further developments,” U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Patrick Dill, chief of incident management in the southwest district, wrote in a statement on Jan. 2.
“At this stage of the response, the likelihood of a successful outcome, based on elapsed time, environmental conditions, and available resources for a person in the water is very low,” Dill added.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
