The US attacked a boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing two people. The US has destroyed at least three dozen alleged drug vessels, killing over 100 people.
“On Jan. 23, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” a statement published on X by US Southern Command said.
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
It continued, “Two narco-terrorists were killed and one survived the strike. Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified the US Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor.
The Department of War has posted videos of the destruction of 36 vessels, claiming each was trafficking narcotics by cartels designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. At least 117 people have been killed. The White House has failed to provide evidence to support its claim that the boats were carrying drugs.
The last strike on a suspected narcotics vessel occurred in late December.
The White House has faced pushback over the strikes. Senator Rand Paul has argued that firing missiles at suspected drug boats is illegal. Additionally, the US forces fired on survivors of one of the strikes. The follow-on strike killed several people who posed no threat to the US, a clear war crime.
