American military forces conducted precision strikes against two vessels operated by designated terrorist organizations in the Eastern Pacific on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of five militants engaged in narcotics trafficking operations.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized the lethal action by Joint Task Force Southern Spear, which carried out the strikes in international waters along established drug trafficking corridors. U.S. Southern Command confirmed that no American service members were harmed during the operations.
Intelligence assessments verified that both vessels were actively conducting narco-trafficking operations when they were engaged. The first strike eliminated three militants, while the second vessel carried two additional terrorists. Video footage released by Southern Command documented the initial engagement and subsequent destruction of one targeted vessel, which was consumed by flames.
Joint Task Force Southern Spear represents a coordinated effort bringing together Navy, Coast Guard, intelligence agencies, and special operations forces. The task force was established specifically to enable rapid response against time-sensitive maritime targets, reflecting a more aggressive posture toward combating drug trafficking organizations that have been formally designated as terrorist entities.
The Pentagon has not disclosed the specific terrorist organization involved in Thursday’s operations, nor has it released the identities of those killed. However, recent military operations in the region have focused on dismantling networks associated with Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional, both of which have been linked to extensive drug trafficking activities threatening American interests.
This latest action continues an intensified campaign that began in early September with a strike that resulted in eleven casualties among alleged Tren de Aragua members. Since that time, American forces have conducted dozens of similar operations across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean waters, systematically targeting vessels suspected of transporting narcotics for terrorist organizations.
The strategy marks a significant departure from previous approaches to maritime drug interdiction. Rather than focusing solely on seizure and arrest operations, the current policy authorizes lethal force against vessels operated by designated terrorist organizations engaged in narcotics trafficking. This shift recognizes the direct connection between drug trafficking revenues and terrorist operations that threaten regional stability and American security interests.
The Eastern Pacific corridor has long served as a primary route for cocaine and other narcotics moving from South American production centers toward markets in Central America, Mexico, and ultimately the United States. Terrorist organizations have increasingly dominated this trafficking, using the substantial profits to fund broader criminal and insurgent activities throughout the Western Hemisphere.
By combining naval assets, coast guard vessels, intelligence capabilities, and special operations forces under unified command, Joint Task Force Southern Spear can identify and engage targets with unprecedented speed. This operational flexibility allows American forces to strike before suspected trafficking vessels can alter course or transfer their illicit cargo, significantly disrupting the logistical networks these organizations depend upon.
The continuing operations demonstrate sustained commitment to degrading narco-terrorist capabilities through direct military action in international waters where these organizations have previously operated with relative impunity.
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