U.S. launches new strike on alleged drug vessel in Eastern Pacific, killing 4

A U.S. military strike targeting a vessel allegedly operated by a designated terrorist organization killed four people in international waters of the Eastern Pacific, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

The strike was carried out on Thursday, when SOUTHCOM said Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched a lethal operation at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The command said intelligence confirmed the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics and traveling along a known drug-trafficking corridor.

The command did not release the vessel’s exact location, and officials did not provide further details about the group operating it. All four people on board, who were described as “narco-terrorists,” were killed.

Thursday’s strike is the first confirmed operation in the region in several weeks. The previous strike was announced on November 16.

That operation killed three people aboard another vessel alleged to be smuggling narcotics along the same trafficking route. Prior to that, strikes had occurred as frequently as every other day.

Since September, U.S. forces have confirmed at least 23 maritime strikes across the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, resulting in 87 deaths. Twelve of those vessels were targeted in the Pacific, with another eleven in the Caribbean.

Officials have attributed the recent slowdown in operations to what they describe as a significant reduction in the number of trafficking vessels. President Trump has recently indicated that additional land-based operations could follow in drug-trafficking corridors in Venezuela.

On Dec. 4, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in international waters operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics and… pic.twitter.com/pqksvxM3HP

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) December 4, 2025