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Last Updated:January 24, 2026, 18:51 IST
US struck a drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific, killing two. The operation, led by Pete Hegseth, is part of Operation Southern Spear under the Trump administration.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (AP File)
The US military conducted a strike on another alleged drug-trafficking boat in eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday, killing two, according to US Southern Command.
“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," SOUTHCOM wrote 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… pic.twitter.com/BzeBBapfMQ— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 23, 2026
“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," it stated.
The last attack in 2025 was on December 31, killing five people.
According to CNN, at least 117 people in at least 36 boat strike have been killed as part of a campaign, dubbed Operation Southern Spear, that the Trump administration has said is aimed at curtailing narcotics trafficking. The attacks have taken place in both the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean Sea.
Friday’s attack was the first known strike against alleged drug-trafficking boats since the US military operation capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from Caracas and brought him to New York to face criminal charges.
The first strike by the US military was on September 2.
According to CNN, the Trump administration has produced a classified legal opinion seeking to justify lethal strikes against a secret and expansive list of cartels and suspected drug traffickers.
The Trump administration has asserted that killing suspected drug smugglers — rather than having the Coast Guard interdict boats and arrest people aboard them if suspicions of drug smuggling proved accurate — is consistent with the laws of war, according to The New York Times.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has repeatedly defended the strikes, calling them necessary to protect US lives.
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Location :
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
First Published:
January 24, 2026, 18:51 IST
News world 2 Killed In US Military Strike On Boat In Pacific, Search On For 1 Survivor
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